Promises of Faith
by Lalaith Quetzalli
Summary: 2nd in the Promises of Eternity series - Forever is a long time, and some promises are impossible to keep; but even from broken promises new destinies can be made, and new futures created. True light may yet come, but at what cost? Stelena, Bamon, Maroline, Jalaric, JeremyOFC, TylerOFC (AU after episode 'Fool Me Once' in VD season 1)
1. Prologue

Does anyone in this fandom remember me? Does anyone remember a story about a Little Witch and her Dark Angel, called Promises of Hope? After years and a tiny piece of eternity, I'm here.

I'll be dead honest with all of you. I considered not coming back. Half of this story has been sitting in my computer for years, but it's just that I lost all interest in Vampire Diaries, particularly the tv show a long time ago. However, a reader kindly wrote to me and reminded me that there are some people who did like the first Promises, regardless of how far from canon it is right now, and might be willing to read the rest of the ideas that were in my head regarding that.

About that. This is officially a series called "Promises of Eternity". Originally it was going to have like four or five parts. But, once again, my muse has been running through different paths for years now. (She much prefers Loki nowadays). Still, right now my plan is to finish this story, much like I originally envisioned it, and then close with one more part, making this a trilogy. I hope you'll enjoy it.

Finally, and because this seems to still be necessary, despite the fact that we all know it already: I don't own Vampire Diaries, yadda, yadda... this is a sequel for Promises of Hope, which, as was mentioned there, follows after Fool me Twice. While some things that were shown later in the show might come up at some point, you'll do well ignoring anything and everything concerning the show after that point. The main pairings, as has been stated are Bamon and Stelena, with other minor ones to be added.

* * *

Promises of Faith

(Sequel to: Promises of Hope)

 _By: Lalaith Quetzalli_

 _Forever is a long time, and some promises are impossible to keep; but even from broken promises new destinies can be made, and new futures created. True light may yet come, but at what cost?_

 **Prologue.**

 _Can anybody tell me why_

 _We're lying here on the floor_

 _And neither of us can barely breathe at all_

 _The doctors saying hold on tight_

 _As we say our last goodbyes_

 _And this is, a moment that changes our whole lives_

The night was so dark, no moon or stars on sight, only the blackness of a pure night. Still, the person who had chosen that very night to venture outside didn't seem to need any light at all. She exited a house from a back door and hurried through back streets and narrow alleys, through a forest and to the limits of a neighboring town, where a carriage seemed to be waiting, a man standing to the side of it.

"Oh Gaea…" The one who'd been traveling spoke in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Oh mother earth." The one waiting answered.

It was like a password, a signal that the one there was the one who was supposed to be. And then the people were revealed.

Waiting was a man, medium height, broad shouldered, his skin tanned, hair a dark brown, eyes of a stormy blue, dressed in dark brown clothes.

The one to arrive was a woman, in a plain cream-colored dress and fully covered in a black cloak, beneath the cloak olive skin could be seen, as well as cinnamon eyes and ebony hair, she was beautiful in an exotic way; and in her arms she held a baby girl, not even a day old, fully covered in a white blanket.

"Are you sure this is the right thing to do?" The man asked her, somewhat concerned.

"It is." She nodded. "It's the only thing to do. You know there's a very little chance of the Little One surviving if she stays here, and she needs to. She needs to live, her Line needs to live, too many lives depend on it.

"You've had one of your visions, haven't you?" He guessed. "A prophetic one? And for the look on your face and the urgency with which you told me to come I imagine it was also something huge."

"Yes, yes, and mostly definitely yes." She agreed. "However, it's not something that will be happening in our lifetime, or even in hers. It'll be a while before it's to come, a long while."

"Well, you've said a lot, and yet said nothing. What exactly is it that will come a lifetime or more from now, that is so huge even you're worried about it."

"The End of Days. Or at least the end of days as we know them, the step into a new era. It will come one day, things will forever be changed…but it won't be easy. In fact, while even now I'm certain the moment for this transformation will come, there's no way of knowing if it'll be for good or for bad."

"You mean either could be?"

"Yes, it could be the beginning of a time for mortals and immortals to walk side by side, finally, as equals; or the descent of this world into a new version of the Dark Dimension."

"…where humans are mere slaves to the creatures of the night. I remember the legends, even if I've never actually been able to imagine such a place. You mean to tell me our world could become like that?"

"If things go wrong, yes. If this little one doesn't survive, most definitely."

"Why her? What's so special about her, aside from her rather 'colorful' parentage?"

"She's the Keeper of the Light."

The silence with which the man received this news was enough to show his shock.

"You see now why it was so important that you saw me this night. Why it's so important that you take this child away tonight. Why it's so important that nobody finds her…"

"Yes, I understand. And I promise you I will do everything in my power to make sure she's well cared for and protected. And I'll also make sure her real identity is never known."

"Never is a long time, and in this case also a promise impossible to keep. But that's alright, the time will come for the truth to be known, for the Light to shine through the night from which it was born…however, that day is still long to come."

The man nodded, it would never even pass through his mind doubting her, too well he knew her talent for knowing things, past, present and future.

"May the Spirits bless your path." He wished to her as a goodbye.

"And may they bless yours, and that of the little one you now hold." She replied.

And without further ado, they both left.

The night remained just as dark and as silent as it had been when they met, no witness or signal left of the meeting that had just taken place…as if it had never happened.

 **.-.**

It was a quiet, dark night, as a young figure sat beside a window, her eyes fixed not on the view outside, but on the one in the room, in the center of the bed, surrounded by pillows and blankets, a newborn baby. The female figure by the window, a girl who was barely a little more than a child herself, having been stripped of what was left of her childhood as she became a mother herself.

The baby, all small and rosy, with soft dark waves of hair, her eyes had yet to open.

"I wonder what color your eyes will be," the young mother whispered. "What you'll look like when you grow up. Will you be a crazy-party girl like me, or more the quiet-bookish type? Will you be the selfish kind who wants to have everything, or selfless and willing to do everything for everyone? Will you love me or hate me?" she sobbed. "Oh god, from all the questions it hurts not having the answer to that's got to be the one that hurts the most: not knowing if you'll love me, despite what I'm gonna do, or if you'll just think of the fact of what I did and hate me for it."

The girl slowly got up from the window-seat, and as the light from a nearby streetlamp hit her it could be seen that she was even younger than it seemed at first sight. She was petite, with dark thick curls in a messy bun, and big deep-blue eyes; she was dressed in clothes obviously too big for her and looking tired and sad. All in all, not a pretty picture.

Silently, she went to kneel by the side of the bed, before finally bursting into tears.

"I hate myself already, you know, I've had this feeling of self-loathing ever since I first considered the possibility of what I'm gonna do. But you gotta know I'm doing it for you, not for me, there's little hope for me now, but you…You're just a baby. You're just beginning your life, and if there's anything I have to do about it, it will always be that, your life. A life you'll be able to live by yourself, where you'll be able to make your own choices, where you won't have to live in fear of the day when it'll all be torn away from you…" she wiped her tears with the back of her hands. "So, if doing what I believe is best for you makes me selfish, if doing that makes you hate me; maybe it will be worth it anyway, if just so you'll be happy."

Slowly she got on the bed, laying carefully on her side, facing the sleeping baby, a hand ghosting just a half-inch over the little girl, as if too afraid to actually touch her.

"This family, they're a nice family, you know?" The older girl whispered. "They'll take good care of you, I know they will. And maybe, maybe you'll never have to know I even exist, maybe you'll never have to know that you're not really theirs. I wouldn't mind that, if it made you happy. I'm sure you'll be a lot better that way."

A sob blocked her throat, and she had to bury her face in another pillow to drown the wail that wanted to escape. She really didn't want to do this! Her whole body viciously rejected the mere thought of abandoning her baby. But this wasn't about her, not this time, this time she couldn't be selfish, she had to see for the welfare of her baby girl and not her own; this time someone else depended on her, and she couldn't fail…

"I just wish I even had the hope of ever seeing you again." She continued when she calmed down enough. "But even now I know that'll never be possible. It's just…it's not a good idea. Maybe one day you'll understand why I'm doing this, I hope you don't, I hope you never have to understand, I hope you never find out about any of this."

The baby began moving right then, as if she were about to wake up. The young mother began humming then, the soft tone of a lullaby, she would say singing wasn't her forte, so she'd rather just hum. After a couple of minutes like that the baby was quiet again, deeply asleep.

"Oh Lord…I don't even know how I'm gonna be able to do this…" She whispered to herself. "Where will I find the strength to do what needs to be done?"

But even as she said that she got on her feet, her eyes straying one more time to the small baby in the bed, as if trying to memorize every line and every shade of color with just one look. Then, right as she began fearing she just wouldn't be able to go if she stayed any longer, she took the knapsack she'd by the closet and walked to the door.

"I promise, I'll always love you, my Beautiful Light." She whispered, not daring to turn back. "I hope that, if nothing else, you'll somehow know that."

And then she was gone, from the room, from the house, from the town. She left the same way she arrived, like a wandering shadow in the middle of the night.

The baby girl was found just a few minutes later, by the couple who'd found and helped the pregnant girl several weeks earlier; they took the baby in, cared for her as if she were their own; promising themselves that come what may, she would always be a part of their family.

Yet, always and never are too long a time…and some promises are just impossible to keep….

 _And I still believe in the good_

 _And I still believe in the light_

 _And I wanna feel the sun_

 _I wanna free you tonight_

* * *

I have things to tell you all, but shall be waiting until the notes in the next part (I'm posting two pieces right now because the Prologue is so short, but I'm warning you it'll be only this one time).

Only, and because I was forgetting, the song for "Promises of Faith" is "Into the Light" as sung by In This Moment. A bit of a tragic one, I know, but still (I promise that this will have a happy ending no matter what!).


	2. Getting Ready

I'm not even sure if it's possible to do this sort of thing with vervain but... well, this is fiction, isn't it? Also, for those who don't quite remember how Promises of Hope ended, here goes a little reminder of where we're at.

* * *

 **Chapter 1. Getting Ready**

It was the beginning of January and a very peculiar meeting was taking place in the backyard of the Salvatore boardinghouse. The members were all well known in the small town of Mystic Falls, however, there was much about them that no one but the few present actually knew about each of them.

First there was Damon Salvatore, oldest of the two brothers, supposedly just graduated from College in a neighboring state, he had moved back to look after his younger brother; he was actually a vampire, formerly monster and now overprotective friend, brother and lover. Right by his side was his spouse of a few weeks, Bonnie Bennett, beautiful girl, one of the 'queens' of the High School, very protective with those she loves; and also the most powerful witch to have lived. Just a couple of feet away stood Stefan Salvatore, the younger, more passive of the brothers; a vampire as well, compassionate and caring, and also fiercely passionate, especially where his beloved was involved. With him stood his girlfriend, Elena Gilbert, who for many seemed like a human version of Katherine even though, as the brothers had been able to see, she was nothing like the crazy vampire, too sweet and nice; she was actually the only full human in the group, but not for that any less loving or protective of those she saw as family, blood relation or not. The last member of the group was one Caroline Forbes, cheerleader, last member of the little 'triumvirate' that reigned 'Robert E. Lee' High School, and for a while now Sensitive; she knew everything there was to know about the first two couples, kept their secrets and did her best to watch their backs, after all, they were her family, more so than any blood-relatives she might have.

Caroline in that moment had a bottle of spray in her hands, it looked like any can of pepper spray on the outside, but the two vampires present could easily tell inside it was actually something entirely different.

"Vervain?" Stefan was the first to identify the smell. "In spray?"

Caroline's smug smile was enough of an answer.

"So that's what you wanted all that vervain for." Damon guessed.

The blonde had gone to him right after the break from school had begun, asking if she could take some of the vervain the Salvatores grew in their cellar, for a little project she'd in mind. He'd agreed, pretty doubtful of whatever it was she may have in mind; and yet, this, was something he could have never imagined, something that had never been tried and yet, seeing it right there, it just seemed so logical.

"Yes." Caroline nodded empathically. "Elena said it herself, how she didn't want to be defenseless next time a rogue vamp came to town; and we all know I'm not the fighter kind, so I decided to get myself another kind of weapon."

At this she brought out of her bag another two spray-bottles and handed them to the other girls; they were identical to hers, a plain non-descriptive green on the outside, only those who could make out the vervain smell knew what it actually was.

"I thought you might be interested in some." Caroline explained. "I made quite a few of this, it was my little pet project during the Winter break. It kept me busy." She turned to Damon. "And don't worry, my mother doesn't know this things exist, or that they can even be created. You don't have to worry about a random person suddenly spraying you with vervain at any given moment."

That was definitely good, while the brothers were all up for the girls protecting themselves, they didn't like the idea of anyone being able to just suddenly spray vervain around, it was dangerous for them.

"And what else have you been working on?" Bonnie asked, knowing this couldn't be all.

As good as the sprays were, the hazel-eyed witch knew the blonde too well to think that was all she had done.

"Well, I made my own brand of perfume." Caroline giggled. "I mixed some gardenia essence with vervain oil and the usual alcohol used in perfume. The result was something that smells like any gardenia perfume, but has enough vervain to make a vampire desist from trying to hold me by the neck, or the wrists…or so I hope. This I'm not offering either of you because I know you wouldn't be very keen on the idea, in my case…well, I don't have any vampire lover who I might want to hold so…yeah."

True, her little inventions remained untested, but she had gone to Grams when the idea had first come to mind and the older witch had even helped her make out the quantities needed of each ingredient for her little 'perfume' to work the way she wanted it too. After all, it wouldn't do if the smell of vervain was too evident or, in the other hand, if there wasn't enough of it for it to actually hurt a vamp.

"And, once again, don't worry, this isn't on the market either." Caroline reassured them. "Not sure how I would explain its properties if it were…" she giggled.

"How did you explain your mother what you were doing during the break?" Elena questioned, somewhat worried about exposure.

"I didn't have to explain anything." The blonde's voice suddenly turned into a monotone. "Mother is too busy with her job to see me more than a few minutes during breakfast, and a few more at night; sometimes not even that. She didn't even know Matt and I were dating until a month after our first date…" she shook her head. "Sometimes I feel like I don't have a mother at all…"

"Oh Caro…" Bonnie called, compassionately.

At the same time both girls left their boyfriends' sides to go embrace their blonde friend. True, they didn't have their parents with them either, what with Elena's having died nearly eight months ago, Bonnie's mother having passed away years before, and her father just traveled too much due to work. Still, that didn't mean they were alone, they all had Bonnie's Grams there for them, whenever they needed her, and there was also Jenna, as oblivious as the woman was to Mystic Falls' more 'supernatural' side of things, she was still doing her best to be there for both Elena and Jeremy, and even the other two girls whenever they needed a friendly face. Caroline was probably the only one with no actual family near, her father having left her and her mom for his boyfriend, and her mom burying herself in work to forget just how disastrous her marriage had turned out, most of the time she even seemed to forget that despite the mess with her ex-husband she still had a daughter.

While Caroline allowed her friends to hold her, she didn't need any words to be said, she could feel the compassion, the love, the support, more keenly than she could have heard any words in that moment. It was at times like this that she really thanked the heavens for having made her a Sensitive, for allowing her to feel just how much her friends loved her.

"Well, enough self-pity." Caroline declared after a while. "Elena, you haven't told me how your training is going."

Training, right. There was a reason why Caroline said she was doing that with the vervain as she wasn't the fighting type. Elena had decided to train, to be able to fight back next time she was in danger, Caroline couldn't bring herself to do it.

Stefan hadn't liked the idea of his girlfriend fighting vampires that much, but he disliked even more the possibility of her being defenseless if a vampire ever attacked her and he wasn't close enough to help. And the events that had transpired during that school dance when they had been reenacting the fifties had proven that no matter how much they planned things, there was always the possibility of things going wrong. And so, he'd been the one training her for the past several weeks.

Elena was actually a fast learner, having been a cheerleader for years she was flexible and had quick reflexes, for a human at least. She'd daily exercises to tone her body, make herself faster and stronger, and Stefan was also teaching her some basic katas of a variety of martial arts he believed would work well for her. It's not like she would ever actually be able to fight a vamp on even ground, but at least she would be able to defend herself.

For that same purpose the brothers had gotten her a few dozen chopsticks custom made, of a variety of woods, sturdy and durable woods, and some even painted to make them match her attires. Elena had taken to wearing her hair in a bun or a twist, always keeping one or two of these chopsticks in it; it was the perfect way to carry the small stakes. It wasn't like she wanted to have to face a vampire one on one, she hoped she wouldn't have to, but it was better to be prepared, in any case it made her feel safer. Besides, no one had forgotten the little situation with the pencils in the school cafeteria, not the first time a rogue vampire had attacked her, but certainly the first she had actually fought back.

"It's going just fine." Elena assured Caroline. "I'm actually getting stronger, and faster. I may never be as fast or as strong as a vampire, but at least I'll no longer be a defenseless human girl. Never again."

Stefan held his girlfriend around her shoulders tightly; he knew how much it had affected her, the times she'd been abducted and used as leverage against her own friends, like that time the vampires wanted Bonnie to open the cursed grave; but the situation she loathed the most was when her brother had been taken and used as leverage himself, and would have been used in a much worse way hadn't Stefan been there. She'd felt powerless, unable to protect her own family, her own little brother; and she hated that as much as he did, which is why he agreed to help her in her crazy plan of training herself.

Bonnie of course was the only one who didn't need to train herself to fight, or use vervain or makeshift stakes; she'd everything she needed with her own magic. True, Damon had already trained her to fight, when she was younger, and she hadn't forgotten any of it, but she didn't need to actually carry a weapon of any kind; what use would that be when she could just snap her fingers and set the offender on fire?

"It seems then we're on the path to being well prepared for whatever may come." Bonnie declared. "Or as prepared as one can be at least…"

Whatever may come…because they knew something was actually coming.

***Flashback***

Damon and Bonnie had had to wait until after New Year to actually have their honeymoon, seeing as she needed to spend that time with her family. Everything had been arranged and the couple had flown to Florence, Italy, where they stayed in an old and beautiful villa that had belonged to Damon's mother. Even if Caryn had been disowned by her father for choosing to marry an American, eventually the DiSantis family died out, leaving the Salvatore brothers as the only 'living' descendants, therefore allowing them to claim the property as theirs, something that seemed to bring evident pleasure to them both, but Damon especially, it was one more link they could have to their mother.

It was certainly a beautiful place, so different from Mystic Falls, Bonnie had enjoyed greatly both the views and the way just being there seemed to soothe his spirit in such a way, it brought her great joy. Damon would never stop being a vampire, and she knew that better than anyone, this wasn't about him being human, but about being better, and happy about it.

It was also during that time that Bonnie had a dream, a vision of sorts, that shook both her and Damon to their cores. So bad it was, and so sure Bonnie was that it was something yet to come, that as soon as they got back Damon had called for a meeting, so they could discuss what the vision had been about.

"So let me see if I got this right." Elena spoke up, trying to keep her voice steady, though she was evidently shaken by the terrible revelation. "You saw yourself tied to a stake, like the ones where witches were burnt in the old times; and Damon was, for lack of a better term, crucified a few feet in front of you…and there was at least one other person in that room, but you couldn't see him or her."

Bonnie nodded, morosely.

"Actually, my dear sister." Damon spoke, finding an odd delight in being able to recognize more people like family. "The burning of witches isn't that old. Emily herself was burnt at the stake, two days after the Fell's Church was burnt with all the vampires."

"Emily was burnt?!" The girls hadn't known that.

"Yes." Damon nodded, solemnly. "After Katherine was discovered as a vampire, as well as Pearl and all the others, the people of Mystic Falls seemed to fall into some kind of frenzy; they began accusing anyone and everyone of being a vampire. Most of the times they couldn't actually prove it, sometimes they didn't even stop to check. Those were some crazy days. In Emily's case, she was able to prove she wasn't a vampire, but then someone brought up some old accusations that had been made against her a couple of years earlier, before she even began working for Katherine, accusations of witchcraft." He shook his head. "Considering how crazy the town was already with the discovery of vampires in their midst, I guess it wasn't really that surprising that they were so quick not just to believe in witches but to condemn them too. Actually, Emily wasn't the only one to die in the stake, at least two others were burnt too; however, I can tell you with absolute certainty she was the only one who actually had any Power."

"If Emily was burnt that day, how exactly did the Bennett line continue to exist?" Caroline asked, truly confused.

"Because Damon protected Emily's daughter." Bonnie explained. "Emily was a widow, her husband having been killed in cold blood by their Master when he refused to obey an order from the Mistress. After her husband died Emily took her baby and ran away, eventually finding Katherine and coming into her service."

"It didn't take long for Katherine to learn Emily was a witch." Damon explained. "Descendant of one of the original druid lines, in fact. So Katherine offered Emily protection, in exchange of her services; Emily agreed to act as handmaiden to Katherine, even knowing beforehand that her new Mistress was a vampire, it was still better than having to be on the run, especially with a young child."

"How could Emily trust Katherine, being each who they were?" Elena asked. "I mean, I know you both, Damon, Stefan, I trust you. But Emily being a witch, how could she not have known the kind of person Katherine was?"

"Maybe she did know, but she just needed the help too much to be picky." Stefan suggested. "She had a baby to think of, after all."

"Maybe she was compelled." Caroline put in her two cents. "You know, forced to trust Katherine despite her possible doubts."

"Not possible." Stefan shook his head. "A witch can't be compelled, unless under extreme duress, and even then, it's a very hard thing to do, impossible to all but the most powerful and oldest vampires. And trust me, Katherine was neither of those. Even Damon, we know now she couldn't fully compel him. I mean, yeah, she somehow managed to make him completely forget Emily, but I wonder if she could have made him forget, had she actually been his soul-mate…I somehow doubt it."

"Maybe she hoped to be able to get away from Katherine before things got too bad." Bonnie suggested, thoughtfully.

"Whatever it was she had planned, doesn't matter anymore." Damon interrupted them. "The bottom line is that Emily stayed with Katherine when they came to Fell's Church, the chaos we already know took place, Katherine was believed to have been sealed in that tomb, and two days later Emily was burnt in the stake."

"But her baby survived." Elena pointed out.

"Because I hid her." Damon explained, finally. "I hid that baby and made sure no one would hurt her. It was part of the deal I made with Emily when she went to seal the vampires in that Church; she saved Katherine and I would protect her lineage." He shook his head. "Well, I always thought that was the deal. It was only the day of the handfasting that I remembered a promise I made well before that. The last day Emily and I met as lovers, when she told me she wasn't my soulmate and that we weren't meant to be, she made me promise I would protect her lineage. She knew, even then, who I was meant to be with. Of course, I didn't remember any of this for the longest time…"

"But you remember now, that's what matters." Bonnie reassured him.

"And what should also matter is our original topic of conversation." Stefan steered them back to what was supposed to be the focus of their conversation. "That awful vision you had while in Florence…Bonnie, are you a hundred percent sure it couldn't have been that event, what happened when you were still fourteen, that made it necessary for you and Damon to separate, the first bond to be broken?"

"No, it isn't." Bonnie shook her head sadly. "Believe me Stefan, there's nothing I would like more than that, except probably the possibility of it being nothing more than a bad dream. Even with it being the past, being real, at least it would mean that it happened already, and we survived it. But it's not a bad dream, and it's not a memory. It's something that's coming, something I don't know if we'll live through…"

It made her despair, just thinking about it, just contemplating the possibility of losing everything she had in that very moment. She didn't fear her own death, hadn't in a long while, ever since that first time when her magic had unbalanced; but she was absolutely terrified by the mere possibility of losing those she deeply loved: her father, Grams, Lena, Caro, Stefan…her Dark Angel…

"We will." Damon held her tightly to his chest. "Whatever may come, we will survive it, my Little Witch, I promise you."

***End of Flashback***

Since that day Elena had upped her training a notch, Caroline had occupied all her free time in designing her vervain spray and perfume, she'd also done her best to slip vervain into her boyfriend's drinks whenever she could; seeing as her mother already did that with her own drinks. Damon had offered her all his stash if she could just use it for something that would ensure her safety and that of the other two girls. It made him feel a bit less antsy, knowing that they had at least a small measure of protection.

Elena herself had followed Caroline's idea of adding vervain to drinks, only she wasn't the one drinking it, only Jeremy and Jenna were. While Stefan was still only drinking animal blood, Elena couldn't help but wonder constantly how it would feel if he were to drink from her, if they were to exchange blood the way Bonnie and Damon did on a regular basis.

Her best friend had told Elena that blood exchange was something very intense and very intimate, Damon had once said it was almost as good as sex, and when both were mixed together… Elena, all flustered, had chosen not to reply to that comment. And while she and Stefan had been sleeping together for two months or so now, they'd never exchanged blood, she didn't even know if he was interested in doing it. However, she chose to keep her options open and her body vervain-free.

There was just no way Bonnie would ever be convinced to drink vervain, she only had the one in her bracelet, and that she only kept because Damon had insisted on her being protected in all ways possible.

Grams for her part had been taking baths with vervain oil for a very long time, she added it to her bath, so nothing new there. And there was also her vervain tea, a favorite of hers, and which she kept carefully away from Elena, Bonnie and their respective beloveds.

"You know, if someone were to see us they would think we're getting ready for a war." Caroline tried to joke.

But truth is, it wasn't actually funny. It wasn't because, as far as any of them were concerned, a war could actually be on the horizon. They just had no idea of what was it that was coming, only that it was big, serious, and would change their lives forever.

 **.-.**

That same night, Damon was making his way back home from a neighboring blood-bank. He'd agreed not to hunt humans anymore, and even when he had, it'd been many years since he'd killed while doing it (people upsetting him were another matter entirely); nowadays he survived on bagged blood. It took the thrill out of the whole thing, but he had to admit that being with his witch, not just when exchanging blood, but actually being bonded to her, was a much better thrill than hunting could ever be.

He was a few minutes away from getting back into town when suddenly he saw something, something so ghostly pale it reflected the moonlight, as it dashed through the trees, moving almost too fast.

The screech of the tires as Damon hit the breaks was fairly audible. He barely took the bother to park the car slightly out of the road before jumping right out of it and following the trail of the pale figure. It wasn't easy, and the smell was an odd one, something he didn't think he'd ever smelt before, and it made him a bit uneasy.

After a while, right as he believed he just might have lost the trail, he saw something: It was a vampire, with dark skin, dirty and what looked like old rags instead of clothes, he was fighting someone else; someone dressed in black head to toe. No skin was visible, until the vampire slashed at the sleeve, the skin that was revealed there was almost too pale to be natural, something that immediately caught the vampires' attention.

"Stupid bloodsucker…" The one in black hissed.

The vampire, obviously angry by the fact that his intended prey just didn't seem to die, made to slash again, this time tearing the hoodie.

Damon was in brief shock at what he saw then: short locks of hair were revealed, like delicate silk, and as white as the full moon in the sky.

"Damn it." The now revealed female in black cussed. "I'm gonna have to get new clothes. All because you cannot just be a good bloodsucker and die already."

Damon was beginning to wonder at the mental health of the woman, how exactly she thought she would be able to make the vampire die, when he suddenly saw her jump a few feet back and, in moves almost too fast to be followed by a human brought out a crossbow she had strapped to her back and fired a bolt at the vampire.

The vampire obviously hadn't been expecting the attack, he still couldn't seem to be able to wrap his head around the fact that his intended prey had fought back, and so proficiently too; he didn't move in the slightest before the arrow hit him, straight in the heart. He was dead before he could even fully comprehend what had just happened.

The prey had, somehow, turned out to be the hunter.

'Who the hell is that?!' The question kept swirling around Damon's mind.

He turned his attention back to the clearing when he heard the young woman curse, at the same time one of her knees touched the ground. Focusing all his senses on her Damon could hear her labored breathing, despite which her heart continued beating rather slowly, almost too slowly for a human. Though, by this point he had serious doubts of the woman being human at all. There was just so much about the way she'd fought, the way she handled herself in general that just didn't fit with a normal human, not even those who were affected by the supernatural entering their lives, the way Caroline had been. No, this was something more, what exactly was something Damon had no idea. And he didn't like that.

He stayed around until the woman began moving again, and then he followed her until she reached the road; he wasn't sure how well hidden he would be able to keep himself with her walking out in the open, and since he didn't know what exactly were the female's abilities he decided to be extra-careful. Yeah, something not normal at all for him, but necessary in this case. He needed to know who and what that woman was, soon, preferably before it became more of a threat.

*Dark Angel…*

Hearing that voice, even if only in his mind, actually relaxed him. An accomplishment, even for her, especially in the condition he was in.

*Yes, my Little Witch?* He asked back telepathically.

*Are you alright?* She questioned, sincerely worried.

*Just fine.* He half-lied. *I thought you would already be in bed by now.*

*I was on my way to bed, but then I felt you tense through the bond, I feared something bad might have happened.* She explained. *Did? Something happen I mean?*

*Good or bad depends on your perspective.* Damon answered, honestly. *Though I would qualify it more as strange. I'll show you tomorrow, pick you up for breakfast before you have to go to school?*

*That's a great idea, thank you.* He could feel her smile, even without actually seeing her.

*Sweet dreams, cara.*

*Rest well, beloved.*

The conversation ended, but Damon waited until he could actually sense her relaxation as sleep claimed her, before moving again. While he hadn't exactly lied about what he was feeling in that moment, not that she wouldn't have noticed if he had, the whole thing just didn't sit well with him.

Now more than ever he was convinced that something was coming…or no, not coming, it was already there.

 _And I still believe in the good_

 _And I still believe in the light_

 _And I wanna feel the sun_

 _I wanna free you tonight_

* * *

I'm warning you all right now, this fic has OCs, two, tp be precise. One more important than the other, they're mostly here to support the main characters. Also, I have a number of chapters for this written, yet I'll be taking my time to post (once a month is the current plan), why? Because I'm about halfway through the fic and I'll need time to get my head on straight and find the inspiration to continue this. Comments and suggestions are very welcomes (hinthintreviewhinthint).

Finally, I've been thinking long and hard about two characters in this fic, which are important, and I need your opinion. The first is Caroline. I love her in this fic, and while at this point in time she's with Matt, that could change. I have two diametrically opposite ideas regarding how things might go for her in the romantic area, and I'd very much like your opinion. Should she stay with Matt... or with Tyler? (Whatever one or the other might have done in the later seasons of the show remember that things took a very different path in episode 14th or so of the first season, and I haven't even watched anything after the end of the second one). The other character is Jeremy, I am playing with two ideas right: setting him up with Anna (Annabelle Zhu) or one of my OCs. So, what say you?

See ya next month!


	3. New Arrivals

So... out of the blue my muse decided it was time to get back to working on this story, not sure how it happened, other than it began with a fairly harmless video in youtube I clicked on when I had nothing else to do... Also, she decided to completely scrap one of the main points of this story and instead handed me an entirely different idea that I totally love and after days working through it in my head have finally managed to completely work into this without having to delete the whole fic up. I've been writing for a few days now and if my muse keeps on the good work I might begin updating faster (don't get your hopes up on the updates coming once a week or anything like that, but perhaps every three weeks, two if I manage to finish this fic in the next month).

If you read all that you're probably beginning to believe that my muse is a real person, and me telling you that she isn't probably will only make you think I'm absolute insane... not like I've ever claimed otherwise. Anyway, I've always said that I write what my muses (and characters) tell me to.

Regarding some things I said (wrote) in the last episode, I've made up my mind (on some things, at least). This fic is officially Maroline (I believe that's the official name for the MattCaroline ship). Also, there will be JeremyOFC, though the endgame is still up for debate. I'm also adding TylerOFC (Much as I loved TylerCaroline, they just don't quite fit in this fic, sorry).

IMPORTANT: I don't know if I've said this before, but I only really watched as far as the season 2 finale of TVD. While I know, in general terms, what happened later, I don't really care for it. There will be no ripper!Stefan in this fic, no Delena, no vampire!Elena (no vampire!Caroline either, for that matter), and definitely no 'Petrova doppelgangers' (there's another reason why Elena is a dead-ringer for Katherine). I simply cannot stand the whole 'Stefan and Elena are driven together by a spell and not real love' spiel. Not gonna happen. As far as I'm concerned, as this fic is concerned, Stefan and Elena are soulmates; as are Damon and Bonnie, by the way. Katherine's backstory will be altered, due to the lack of the whole doppelganger thing. I've changed the name and backstories of Bonnie's parents; this is because I created them when we didn't know anything about them yet, and have no interest in changing them at this point, hope you can accept that. Finally, and this is probably the most important detail: Klaus will be in this. Not the TV-Klaus, not Niklaus Mikaelson, but Klaus, from the L.J. Smith novels, Original Vampire (no Hybrid mess), leader of the Ancients, over five thousand years old, insane, psycopathic and completely evil. Also, paraphrasing his words in Dark Reunion: he's the first, the most powerful, the one who's never died... (that's important too). As for why I'm doing this, it was the plan from the very start, long before Niklaus Mikaelson first appeared in the tvshow, and I'd rather not have to deal with the tv-version, which frankly gives me a headache at the best of times (I love the Klaroline ship, and all the good things he can do, but he's still a cruel bastard and it's not like he's bipolar to justify going from one extreme to the other in the space of a heartbeat, really!).

So, yes, this notes have gone long enough, but I really thought we needed to be clear on a few things so you'd know what to expect from this fic, and the series in general. Now, on to the chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 2. New Arrivals**

It was early that Monday morning when Damon arrived in his black Ferrari to pick up Bonnie. He was dying to see her again, to hold her; he craved her more than he ever craved blood. It was awful, not being able to wake up next to her, but her father didn't know a thing about their relationship, so the few days he actually slept home it was best if she was there, alone. The rest of the time either he would stay with her there, or she would spend the night with him in the Salvatore house; the father of course believed that either one of the gals was staying with his daughter, or that she was sleeping with her Grams.

However, there was something he hadn't been expecting, and that was the young woman that he could see in the kitchen, having breakfast with his spouse.

"Good morning." He heard.

Damon mentally kicked himself for not noticing someone was so close, he'd just been so surprised by the presence of the other young woman. And the one to find him there was no other than his bride's father: Samuel Bennett.

"Good morning Mr. Bennett." Damon greeted the man. "I'm here to drive Bonnie to school, since Elena won't be able to make it."

"Why would you pick up my daughter?" Samuel fixed Damon with as much of a glare as a human could muster.

"Stefan, Elena's boyfriend, is my little brother." Damon tried to cook up a good enough story in such a short time. "This morning Stefan told me Elena's car was broken down so he would be picking her up, then asked me if I wouldn't mind doing the same for Bonnie. I said it was alright, I was on my way downtown already."

That last part at least was actually true, he was going to meet Sheriff Forbes, see if he found any clue of who last night's woman might have been. He really didn't like not knowing things, especially when said things could affect his family.

"I see." Samuel nodded, apparently accepting the story. "Well, why don't you come inside meanwhile? Bonnie is getting breakfast ready, Mia is helping her."

"Mia?" In this it wasn't hard for Damon to show incomprehension.

"My niece, Mia Rosenberg." Samuel explained. "She's my older sister's daughter."

"I didn't know Bonnie had any cousins…" Damon blurted out.

"Well, if you know Bonnie through Elena it's to be expected." Samuel declared. "Mia was never one to travel out of Mississippi, I actually believe this is the first time she does. In the past it was always us who went for a visit."

Damon could have sworn there was something in Samuel's expression and his voice; it was as if the man somehow knew perfectly well that Damon was lying in his explanation on why he was picking up Bonnie, and yet he wasn't actually doing anything to stop him or his own daughter. It was rather strange.

Bonnie raised her head instantly the moment Damon stepped into the house, right behind her father. It took all her strength of will to remain standing where she was, before the kitchen-counter, when all she wanted was to fling herself at him and kiss him senseless, not caring that they were right in front of her family. She'd just missed him so much, even if they had been together the previous afternoon, she had this constant need for him, for his presence, his touch. Only her wish to avoid having to give very complicated explanations to her father and cousin kept her from actually doing that.

"Hello Damon, it's nice seeing you again. Elena told me there was a problem with her car." She called with a bright smile. *Good morning, mio amato…*

"Hey Bonnie, yeah, it's a pity, isn't it? Stefan offered to drive her and asked me to pick you up. Hope that's alright." He greeted her with a secret smile. *Good morning, cara…*

"Just fine." Bonnie assured him. "I'll be ready in a few minutes. Want to have some coffee while you wait?" *I'm sorry love, I know we were supposed to go out for breakfast today. Rain-check on that?*

"Sure." He answered both questions out loud. *Guess I'll have to wait.*

"Damon, this is my cousin Mia, Mia, this is Damon Salvatore, a friend." Bonnie introduced the two, all the while fingering the band in her finger.

It was a really good thing Emily herself had spelled their rings to only be seen by those who had been present during the ceremony of their union; otherwise it would have caused a lot more unwanted and unnecessary questions. Also, Bonnie wouldn't like the idea of not being able to wear the ring all the time. Same thing was true for Damon actually, for someone usually so averse to sentimental commitment he had taken to their new relationship naturally, as if a part of him had been waiting for it to happen, for the last piece to fall into place. Not even Stefan could believe it.

The vampire also took the chance to discreetly study this until-now-unknown cousin of his spouse: she was of medium-height, with mocha skin (darker than Bonnie's), big doe-brown eyes, long mahogany hair with a hint of red that fell in loose waves to her waist, dressed in a long kaki colored pencil-skirt, cream colored long-sleeved buttoned-shirt, a jacket of the same color as the skirt hung on the back of a nearby chair and brown ballet flats finished her attire.

Damon was brought out of his musings once again when a cup of coffee was laid in front of him, black coffee.

"You want some cream or sugar?" He heard Bonnie's cousin ask as she prepared her own coffee in an almost mechanical way.

"No." Bonnie answered for him without noticing. "He prefers his coffee black."

Unlike her, who liked it with a good quantity of cream and a little sugar.

Mia just raised her brow but didn't comment on it.

And it was that the scene: Damon perched on the high chair around the kitchen island, Bonnie at his side, her body very slightly inclined in his direction; both with cups of coffee in their hands, and every so often Bonnie would offer small bites of her biscuits to him. It all looked so…casual, so domestic, natural…

"Well, I'm leaving now." Samuel announced as he passed by the kitchen.

He seemed to do a double-take as he noticed the scene between her daughter and the older Salvatore, but said nothing about it, instead just kissing both girls' heads, taking his briefcase from the table and heading to the door.

"I'm afraid I'll be on meetings all day so I won't be able to make it in time for dinner, don't wait up on my account." He declared right before walking out the door. "Have a good day girls; it was nice meeting you Mr. Salvatore."

"Likewise Mr. Bennett." Damon replied politely.

"Have a good day, dad, take care." Bonnie replied.

"Don't worry Uncle Sam, we'll be just fine." Mia added.

"We should take our leave too, Bonnie." Damon reminded Bonnie. "Or you're gonna be late for school." Then to be polite he turned to the other girl and added. "Do you need me to drive you somewhere Miss Rosenberg?"

"No, thank you, and Mia is just fine." The girl replied.

"Lets go Damon." Bonnie declared. "Take care Mia."

"Sure cous, don't worry about me." The girl waved the two goodbye.

Damon helped Bonnie with her jacket, before putting his own on and walking out of the house and to the car. Both were concentrating hard on not giving into their impulses and kiss the other senseless, worried that Mia may see them from some window.

And so they were gone.

.-.

Damon drove a couple of blocks before turning on a corner and parking the car. Then, before Bonnie could even think about asking what he was doing he took her face in his hands and kissed her, softly yet passionately. She could have melted in that very moment, as it was she relaxed into his arms, answering his kiss with all the feelings she had been keeping reigned in since seeing him walk into her house.

*I missed you so much…* She didn't need to speak out loud to express herself.

*Me too cara, me too.* Damon replied in the same way. *We really have to do something about your sleeping arrangements, and soon. I don't think I'll be able to survive this way for much longer. I'll lose my mind.*

*Is this normal?* She asked, laying her forehead against his. *Craving you this much? Feeling like I cannot breathe when you're not by my side? Missing you after less than five minutes of not seeing you?*

*Natural or not, it's exactly the same thing I feel.* Damon assured her. *Maybe it's got to do with the magical bond we share, or the sharing of blood, or what Emily said about us being soulmates…or a mix of those. Don't know, don't care, it doesn't really change a thing, does it? I need you, you need me, period.*

*You're right, there are just so many possibilities, even if they don't really change much. Still, maybe we should talk to Grams about it. In any case she might be able to help us come up with a plan so we don't have to spend so much time apart…and so my father doesn't blow a gasket when he realizes we're spending much more time together than two acquaintances or even friends should, and then eventually the reason why we're doing that…* she stopped right as she noticed she was ranting.

*I think he already knows something is going on, even if he has no idea of what exactly it is. And your cousin's presence probably isn't gonna make things any easier to either of us.* He sighed and straightened up a bit, changing to normal speech. "By the way, how come I never knew you had a cousin?"

As they began talking in a more 'normal' way Damon started the car again, though he chose to take the 'panoramic route' to the high-school.

"When I was younger, you were never around during the times we happened to go visit her in Mississippi, and before today she'd never come here herself, she never seemed to want to." Bonnie began her explanation. "As time passed I guess we just grew distant, until I simply stopped visiting. Actually, that's why I was so shocked when, less than an hour ago, I heard the door and went to find her standing there! All business-like dressed, suitcase in hand, saying it was good to see us."

"Did she say why she decided to visit you all of a sudden?" The vampire inquired, it may be a bit exaggerated, but at the moment he couldn't help but be alert with anything not planned.

"She said she was working on her final thesis, for her bachelor's degree." The young witch told her spouse. "She's studying to be an experimental psychologist, I think, or something along those lines."

"Experimental psychologist?" He didn't like the sound of that.

"I'm actually not quite sure what that implies exactly, just how different it is from traditional psychologists; other than they're the more unorthodox ones. I don't know what her specialty might be either. What I do know is that she believes there's something here in Mystic Falls that will help her finish her work."

"Lets just hope this doesn't end up complicating things for us all." He seemed to ponder a bit on something before adding. "Why did you grow distant?"

"Mia, her full name is Amelia Joanne Rosenberg, she's my dad's older sister's daughter." Bonnie elaborated. "Aunt Sienna and Uncle Joseph were in their late thirties when they had her; for years they thought they would never have any children. And then Uncle Joseph fell ill when she was very young. I imagine that, in her desire to make her parents as proud of her as she could while she still had them she began doing all she could, at school, she signed up for all the clubs she could and such. Sports has never been her forte, though she's very good at dancing, and in school she's always been the best." She raised her brow suddenly. "How old would you say she is?"

"Well, while she looks young, even wearing a suit, considering what you said about finishing her degree, I would say she ought to be in her early twenties, maybe even as young as twenty."

"She's seventeen, will be turning eighteen in a few weeks actually."

"What?!" It was only thanks to decades of practiced self-control that Damon managed to not swerve off the road suddenly.

"Yeah, I know. Remember how I told you she was the best at school. I'll admit that's quite an understatement. Mia is a genius, not sure what her IQ actually might be, but you can be sure that she is a genius. By fifteen she'd already finished high-school, and with enough extra-credits to qualify as sophomore in college. I wouldn't be surprised if she got a Master Degree before I'm halfway through college."

"So much studying in such little time, it can't be easy. Why would she put so much pressure on herself? Or did her parents pressure her…?"

"No, Aunt Sienna and Uncle Joseph would have never pushed her the way she pushed herself. I don't think they would have actually cared if she'd taken a few more years finishing school, or if her grades hadn't always been excellent. It's just…she wanted so much to make them proud, being an only daughter, and having gotten into their lives so late…I guess she was just afraid she wouldn't be able to show them how much she loved them." She sighed. "Uncle Joseph died a few years ago, about a week after she graduated from high-school. She was sad, but kept telling herself that she'd made her father proud, he'd lived long enough to see her finish high-school as first in her class and enter college with a full scholarship. Still, I truly believe Uncle Joseph would have been happier if he'd had more time with her." She sighed and shook her head. "Aunt Sienna still lives, she stayed in Mississippi, can't imagine how hard it must be for her, there, all alone. I really don't understand Mia, you know? I mean, even if my aunt and uncle were older than my parents, she had them for longer than I had my mom, and yet she doesn't seem to appreciate it. Even now, my dad is always on trips or at work, hardly ever home; Mia's mom is there for her, and she doesn't seem to care." The witch sobbed in a very light tone. "It's not fair…"

"Oh my Little Witch."

He'd once again stopped the car, this time under a tree, a couple of blocks away from the school; and before she knew what was going on she was in his arms, being rocked slightly as he whispered sweet nothings in Italian into her ear.

.-.

In school Elena and Stefan stood right inside the entrance of the main building. The brunette girl playing with her car keys. She'd had every intention of picking up Bonnie that morning, just like she used to when her dad was in town and using the family car, but Stefan had called, told her Damon wanted to pick Bonnie himself, apparently just one night away was enough for him to miss her almost desperately. Elena actually found that endearing, and made her ponder on possible ways for them not to have to be apart, without making Samuel Bennett either think they were insane or inadvertently ruin things though, thus far, she'd been unable to think of anything that had the least chance of working.

The warning bell had already sounded, and the halls were mostly empty as students rushed to their first class when Damon's black Ferrari stopped right in front of them. There was a silent exchange between the two passengers before Bonnie slung her backpack over a shoulder and stepped out of her car with a little less grace than what was usual for her.

"Hey Bonnie!" The couple called as she approached.

And it was until she was standing less than three feet from them, and she raised her head, that they noticed the redness in her eyes, as well as the puffiness.

"Bon…Are you alright?" Elena entered 'worried friend' mode instantly.

Bonnie just shrugged, not even bothering to try and lie, which seemed to accentuate just how 'not right' things actually were.

"Stefan, please be a dear and tell the teacher we had to go to the restroom." Elena told him softly, giving him a peck on the corner of his lips. "We'll be there as soon as we can."

And before anything else could be said the younger Salvatore was left with three schoolbags and no girls as his girlfriend silently guided her best friend in the direction of the bathrooms.

Stefan came back to reality as his hearing was able to pick up the chuckles from his brother, as he still sat in his car, watching everything.

"A bit forceful, isn't she?" Damon asked with a smirk.

"I would rather think of it as strong willed." Stefan answered with a smile of his own.

"Think of it whichever way you like." Damon replied with a relaxed smile. "It still brings us to the same conclusion: you're whipped."

"Yeah, well, so are you." Stefan actually smirked at this.

Damon huffed but didn't even try to deny it. Instead, he changed topics:

"Seeing her like this, I honestly can't believe we ever confused her with Katherine…"

It was so strange to see Damon like that, so relaxed, so…content. It was definitely something Stefan enjoyed immensely; having his big brother back.

"Well, she certainly looks like her." Stefan admitted. "But Elena is nothing like Katherine. Katherine was never this warm, this nice, this…"

"Caring." Damon finished for him.

"Yeah." Stefan nodded empathically.

"Which is exactly why you love her so much." Damon added.

There was no answer, neither was there a need for one, the truth was obvious enough.

.-.

It wasn't until a few minutes later, after the bell of the first class had rung, that Elena and Bonnie finally stepped out of the girls' bathroom. It had just taken a slight touch of makeup and Bonnie's manipulation of the water element to make her eyes look less puffy, enough so no one would actually know she had cried.

Still, Elena hadn't managed to get her friend to explain what had made her so distressed, only hearing that they needed to have a meeting that afternoon, and that somehow an unexpected visitor to the Bennett household was involved.

The two friends were hurrying down the hall in the direction of the classroom when, right in a turn, Elena forcefully crashed against someone else. Her training during the Winter break helped her react fast enough to give a few quick and short steps backwards, absorbing the backlash of the crash and preventing herself from falling; the other person didn't seem to be so lucky, ending up sprawled out on her back, several books and papers having slipped out of her half-open bag.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Elena cried out, feeling suddenly very guilty.

Bonnie silently helped the girl gather all her books and papers and get them back into the bag, right as Elena helped her stand.

It was easy, the girl was so small, so fragile-looking, she looked like she ought to be in junior-high, maybe even the last year of elementary instead of high-school. Her skin was an ivory color, and barely visible underneath her long sleeves and gloves, a short lock of ashen-black hair barely visible from underneath the hoodie, thick sunglasses covering almost half of her face, making it impossible for her eyes to be seen.

Fleetingly Elena wondered if her skin was really as pale as it looked or if it was just an effect because she was wearing clothes in the darkest tones of blue and purple.

"It's alright." The girl reassured them in a very soft, chime-like voice.

"Are you sure?" Bonnie insisted, extending her hand to her. "We're really sorry. We're late to our first class and weren't looking where we were going…"

"I'm fine." The girl insisted, pulling back.

Bonnie couldn't help but notice her move, and had a feeling the girl was actually shying away for her touch, it was strange, but something to be pondered at another time as, like she herself had pointed out, they were already late.

"Elena, come on, we gotta hurry." Bonnie reminded her friend.

"Right." Elena turned to the girl one more time. "Once again, I'm sorry. My name is Elena Gilbert, guess we'll be seeing you around. Bye!"

And with that she was gone, this time being steered by her friend, both silently praying that Stefan had been successful in convincing their Government Teacher to let them into their class even if they were already almost fifteen minutes late!

.-.

The girl in dark clothes held her bag tightly to herself before entering the classroom closest to her, silence fell as everyone noticed her late arrival. She just acknowledged it all with a nod of her head, fully silent.

"Right." The teacher spoke. "Class, as you can probably see a new student will be joining on from this day forward, I hope you'll make her feel welcome, and if necessary help her adjust." He turned to the girl. "If you could introduce yourself. You may just tell us your name, age and a little something about yourself."

"My name is Itziar Saltzman, I'm fifteen, I used to live in West Virginia." She spoke in a very no-nonsense tone.

"It says in your records you've never actually attended school before." The teacher pointed out as he looked through a file.

"I was home-schooled." She shrugged.

Internally she was rolling her eyes, if anyone in that room were just a little more observant they would realize just how uncomfortable she was with all the attention; but either they didn't notice or they just didn't care.

"Saltzman?" The teacher continued. "Any relation to History Professor, Alaric Saltzman?"

"My adoptive father." She answered, with an almost cutting tone.

The professor just nodded.

"I'm afraid sunglasses aren't allowed in class." He signaled to hers.

"My eyes are very sensitive to the light." She pointed out.

"Then you could sit away from windows, but I'm afraid this is a rule we have to enforce." The professor insisted.

When she finally took the sunglasses off many people gasped, and the teacher himself seemed to have no words, her eyes looked almost violet in color, but what actually stood out the most was the white part of the eye, it was so light it made the thin veins even more noticeable. It looked almost unnatural.

"Very well, lets see, empty seats…" The man looked around the classroom.

Before he could appoint her to one she made her way herself to a seat close to back and right beside the wall; the teacher didn't make a move to stop her, either he decided it was alright, or he just didn't care.

"Hey, hello." The boy sitting in the seat behind her spoke as she settled down. "Welcome to Robert E. Lee. I'm sorry if Mr. Jerriard made you uncomfortable." The boy continued in a very low tone. "Truth is, he's a jerk, we all know that. Don't let it get to you."

She nodded curtly.

"I know your dad, he's a nice man." He offered. "Hey! If you want I could show you around the school, even around town if that's alright with you. Not that there's that much to see in a town as small as Mystic Falls but…"

"That'll be alright." She interrupted him.

It was the first time he saw her smile. It was a small, almost unnoticeable smile, but it was there, and for some reason knowing he'd put it there made him very happy, as if that single thing made his whole day worth it.

"Oh, I haven't introduced myself, how stupid…" He passed a hand through his disheveled hair, suddenly self-conscious. "I'm Jeremy Gilbert."

.-.

A couple of hours later, in the Bennett household, Mia was getting herself installed in the guestroom, her clothes were already hung in the closet, most were either identical or slight variations to the clothes she was wearing in that very moment. What could she say? She was comfortable in those clothes.

It had taken her a while to get all her clothes in order, she was an extremely neat person, some people would sometimes joke that she had OCD, and maybe it was true, either way she didn't care. By then all that was left in her suitcase were a few books and a binder with notes she was using as the basis for her thesis.

"I know I did right by making this trip. I'm sure of it." Mia spoke out-loud as she arranged the books on the desk. "Even if I've never liked traveling, this was necessary. My whole work depends on this, and I truly believe the idea is right. She said it in this book, this town is a great mine for this kind of investigation…"

As she turned to zip up the suitcases and put them under her bed, the title of the first book in the desk stood out, with silvery letters on a dark, gothic-looking background: 'Myths and Realities of the Dark by Isobel Flemming-Saltzman.'

And so it began…

 _And I still believe in the good_

 _And I still believe in the light_

 _And I wanna feel the sun_

 _I wanna free you tonight_

* * *

In case you're interested, and because I just cannot seem to be able to help myself. Mia Rosenberg is played (in my head, and possibly future fanarts) by Amber Stevens (younger than she's now, of course), and Itziar Saltzman by Anna Sophia Robb.

If you have questions (after either the chapter or my very long notes on top), you're free to ask, as long as it doesn't run the risk of spoilering you I'm willing to answer anything. Also, I welcome suggestions, as I'm still writing at this point.

See ya!


	4. Trouble, Trouble and

So... a miracle has happened and I've finished writing this. It's insane. I can hardly believe it. So, the updates will begin taking place every three weeks, might cut it down to two if I actually begin seeing interest in this (I've hardly gotten any reviews! It's awful). No, I'm not holding chapters hostage, I don't do that anymore. The reviews are mostly so I know people are actually interested (and I remember to update... since I'm no longer in this fandom I might honestly forget). I have some plans for the third and final part of the trilogy but I make no promises at this point.

Going a bit on a tangent, there is a fanmix for Promises of Hope, and I'd like to know if anyone would be interested in me posting it somewhere for you to download or something... There's one for Promises of Faith too, but I'm not offering that just yet, as it could be considered somewhat spoilery. I could begin building a list at the end of each chapter if you want? Tell me what you think.

I will also take this moment to remind you all that this fic is sequel of Promises of Hope, which takes off at the end of 1x14 (I think that's the number) 'Fool Me Once'; and in no way connects to anything from the rest of the series. Some things might still happen at some point; but the context will be nothing like in cannon (I mean really, we have soulmate Bamon, there will be no Delena here, no vampire Caroline and a bunch of other stuff... I think I made a list in a prior chapter). So yeah, hope you'll stick with me anyway and enjoy!

Not sure if I've said this before, but I don't own Vampire Diaries (not the books or the tvshow); it's all property of L. and whoever holds the rights at this moment.

* * *

 **Chapter 3. Trouble, Trouble and…**

The last class had just ended and Elena had stayed behind to help Bonnie gather her materials as she'd done a presentation that day.

"Have a good day Mr. Saltzman." Elena wished the teacher as he left.

"Y…you too." He replied as he left the room in almost hurry.

"Ok, spill." Bonnie ordered right then.

"Spill what?" Elena seemed to be honestly puzzled.

"What's going on with Saltzman?" Bonnie inquired. "At first I thought I was seeing things, but now I'm sure he's been acting really strange, and it began the last few weeks of the last semester." Before Elena could deny anything she added. "I'm not blind you know? The man seems to be always nervous around you and Stefan, barely looking at you and stealing careful glances at him, as if he's waiting for something to happen…"

"Well, I'm actually not quite sure what's going on." Elena answered honestly. "But I can think of two possibilities. The first is that he knows what Stefan is…"

"He does?!" Bonnie was shocked. "What? How?"

"Not quite sure on either of those." The brunette answered. "He knows vampires exist, and that both Stefan and Damon are. Stefan told me he had a talk with him back in November, to try and explain that they aren't the bad guys…well, Damon wasn't exactly a good guy back then but…you get my meaning."

"I do, and he was never really a bad guy." The witch shook her head. "Doesn't matter. So, he barely looks at you because he's afraid Stefan will do something to him if he looks at you wrong…or something like that?"

"I actually hadn't considered that." Her friend admitted. "No, it's a little more complicated than that." She sighed. "Remember how I told you I'm adopted?"

"Yeah…"

"My birth mother, Jenna helped me track her, her name was Isobel."

"Wait, was as in…"

"As in she's dead, yes. She was Mr. Saltzman's wife."

"What does he say about all this?"

"That's just it. He hasn't said anything. He didn't know Bonnie! He was married to the woman for five years and he never knew she had had a daughter!"

"Oh my…that ought to be awkward…How do you feel about all this?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure if I should feel anything at all, really. I mean, yeah, Isobel was my mom, biologically, but if it weren't for Stefan I probably would have never known it…Aunt Jenna didn't seem very willing to tell me anything at all at least. I wonder if Uncle John knows anything about this…"

"Your uncle John?"

"Yes, you remember him? My dad's brother? He's always traveling everywhere, rarely ever comes, and when he does he never stays more than a week, most times not even that."

"I think I remember him, vaguely. Not sure when I saw him last though…"

"He was here last summer, for mom's and dad's funeral…"

"Oh Elena, I'm sorry."

"It's alright, I think I'm moving on now, finally."

"That's good to know."

"Anyway, he came for the funeral, but didn't say for long, no more than a few days actually."

"And he's coming back now?"

"Yes. That's the weirdest thing of all. Jenna says he wants to be here for the Foundation Anniversary, but he's never cared before, so I don't really understand. If I were any more paranoid I would think this is related to everything else that is going on here lately."

"Well, he'll have to get in line then."

"What do you mean?"

"That this must be the time for mysterious and unexpected arrivals: first my cousin Mia arrives early this morning with no warning, with the excuse that's she's working on her thesis, not sure what her topic is actually. Then your Uncle John is coming back…Oh, and Damon saw something last night, not sure what but I'm sure it wasn't good…"

"Mia is here? But I thought she hated to travel? And wait, Damon saw something? When? What was it?"

"Mia is here, yes, she doesn't like to travel, so your guess on her reason is as good as mine. Yes, Damon saw something last night, he was going to show me this morning during breakfast but Mia's sudden appearance kinda made us change our plans. That's why we have to meet, there's so much we need to talk about."

"I believe you. Is Damon gonna pick you up?"

"No, I told him I would catch a ride with you and Stefan to the house. Do you think Caroline will be coming?"

"I'm already here." A voice announced suddenly.

Turning, the two girls could see the last member of the trio standing in the door, a tired expression on her face.

"I had to turn down an afternoon date with my boyfriend, again, so this better be good."

"Not sure if good is the right way to describe it. But you can be sure it's something we need to talk about, all of us."

"Well, then what are we waiting for? Lets get moving girls!"

With a nod, the three were on their way.

.-.

Surprisingly enough for all Damon was actually the last one to enter the Salvatore home, still muttering under his breath a string of curses that mixed English and Italian in a rather creative way (or so Stefan said, since the girls didn't understand half of what was being said). It seemed that since that visit from Caryn di Salvatore almost a month before the two brothers had not only been closer to each other but also to their own roots, both in the human aspects, and more specifically in their Italian tradition.

Both Elena and Bonnie knew their beloveds had been born in America, though their father was a son of Italian immigrants, who presumably had been exiled from their own country for some reason or another, and their mother the heiress of a powerful family who had been disowned when choosing to marry an exiled. Caryn had held the Italian roots in a much higher regard than her husband did, which might explain why both Damon and Stefan had almost fully forgotten all about them until being before the very woman once again.

The girls themselves had been trying to learn some Italian; while Bonnie could easily pick up the meanings of words and phrases from her spouse's mind, she still wanted to be able to speak and think in that language, to share with him something that held such importance in his heart, because it held the memory of his mother; the same was true for Elena. In Stefan's case he barely remembered his mother at all, but still, anything Italian seemed to help him feel he was keeping her close, and that was good.

Silently Bonnie approached Damon and laying her hands on his arms, she began focusing on pushing as much positive emotion into him as she could, at least until he calmed down.

Almost a full minute passed by before the heavy atmosphere cleared from the room and Stefan had to wonder if his brother had just had a very bad day, or if things were really that bad; for everyone's sake he hoped for the former, and yet, considering how happy Damon had been since his union to Bonnie, he dreaded it might be the latter.

"There's trouble." Was the first thing the older Salvatore spoke that wasn't a curse, though for the tone of voice it might have been as well.

And this was one time Stefan really wished he hadn't been right.

"Ok, so, lets get this show on the road then." It was Caroline who broke the heavy mood.

"Where should we begin?" Elena inquired. "I mean, it's obvious Damon has something to say, as does Bonnie, as do I…"

"Better start from the beginning." Stefan suggested.

With that, they all turned to Damon, since the beginning was the previous night, and he was the one who had been there.

"Last night, as I was returning from a quick trip to the blood-bank in one of the neighboring towns I noticed something strange." Damon began explaining. "Its shape seemed human, it was ghostly pale, and too fast to be normal. So I went to investigate. I nearly lost track of it, its scent was so…odd, like a mix of things that shouldn't be mixed. When I finally caught up with it I found a fight: between a figure dressed fully in black, this was the pale thing I had noticed earlier, what little skin could be seen was as white as the moon, with an almost translucent quality to it; and the thing fighting with it, was a vampire, a vampire dressed in old half-tattered clothes. The battle lasted less than three minutes, and while at first I thought the pale figure had to be really stupid to have picked a fight with a vampire, turns out it wasn't only too pale and fast to be human, it also had inhuman reflexes, and the means to fight those like Stefan and I. To make a long story short, in a careless move I discovered it was actually a she, with straight white hair, she had a crossbow, and she used it to kill the vampire. Pretty efficient if I do say so myself."

"Wait, a girl killed a vampire?!" Caroline was shocked.

"It's obvious it was no normal girl, no human girl." Stefan added. "Damon said it himself, her speed and reflexes, even the color of her skin is too unnatural."

"And we would have noticed if a pale-skinned white-haired girl had suddenly arrived to town." Elena pointed out.

Bonnie for her part was silently analyzing the whole thing, piece by piece; by putting her hand on Damon's temple as he narrated everything she was able to pick from his mind his own memory, exactly as it happened, she was trying to identify something, anything; or if not, at least commit as many details as she could to memory in case she ever saw anything that may help. And suddenly, she did notice something.

"Those clothes…" She gasped.

"What?" Everyone seemed confused at the sudden change in the train of thought.

Damon was the only one who knew what she was talking about and he nodded somberly.

"What is it?" Caroline asked, an impatient ring to her voice.

"The style of clothes, it was the same that was worn in the 1860's." Bonnie explained as calmly as she could, though her mind was spinning with the implications of it all. "The fact that that vampire was wearing such clothes can only mean that…"

"That he was in that tomb." Stefan finished for her.

"That he managed to escape from that tomb." Damon added.

"Wait!" Elena stopped them. "A vampire escaped from that tomb? But then that means…Just how many could have escaped?"

"That's just the thing, there's no way of knowing." Bonnie replied. "The tomb was completely destroyed that night.

"Totally obliterated." Damon half-grinned. "Remember, we barely managed to get the magic under enough control so as not to get ourselves annihilated, or the whole Mystic Falls, by accident. There's nothing left there, other than dirt and rock of course."

"Ok, so this means there's a chance, a pretty good chance, that there are rogue vampires in Mystic Falls, vampires that were trapped in that tomb for more than a hundred years, who most likely are totally insane right now, and could begin attacking innocents any moment." Caroline summarized everything.

"Yes, that about sums it up." Damon nodded in an almost cynic matter.

"But this is crazy!" Caroline cried out. "So many people are in danger. So many innocents. And we don't even know how many may be out there, and…and…"

"And we'll take care of it." Bonnie finished for her very solemnly. "It's our responsibility, it's my responsibility, I should have made sure all the vampires were in the tomb when I set about destroying it; or in any case I should have thought of tracking any strays as soon as I recovered from that night. But I honestly hadn't contemplated the possibility…"

"This isn't just your responsibility cara, it's ours." Damon reminded her gently yet firmly. "And all of us will make sure it's taken care of." He turned to Caroline. "Guess you might get the chance to test your new inventions a bit sooner than originally planned."

"Well, we knew trouble was coming our way." Elena added, trying to lighten things up but not quite managing. "At least we're better prepared this time."

"Not so sure about that one Lena." Bonnie admitted in a sad voice. "Have you forgotten Damon wasn't the only one coming here with news?"

It was true, what Damon had just revealed carried heavily problematic implications, and yet, it was but the beginning.

Silence reign for nearly a full minute, it was obvious that no one really wanted to hear about more trouble than what had already been said; but it needed to be said, they needed to know

"So, what else?" It was Caroline who finally voiced the question.

"Mia arrived early this morning." Bonnie explained. "Unannounced. She claims to be working on her thesis, and that there's something here that will help her finish it. She hasn't given any details on what exactly that something is, not even what the topic for her thesis is. I only know she's studying experimental-psychology, or something like that."

"Who's Mia?" Stefan was this time the only one not in the know.

"Amelia Joanne Rosenberg, my cousin." Bonnie explained.

Quickly the young witch explained to Stefan the same thing she had told Damon in the morning, excluding her own personal feelings on what her cousin's actions were causing to her own family relationships.

"So, is her sudden arrival to Mystic Falls coincidence or…" Stefan didn't actually need to finish the question, it was evident enough.

"I don't know." Bonnie sighed. "But you have to admit it's a bit suspicious. I mean, her whole life there was nothing that could ever make her agree to travel anywhere; and all of a sudden she decides to come here, right at the same time we're expecting danger to jump at us at any moment. It can't be a coincidence."

"You don't think she's…" Elena didn't even dare voice the slightest suspicion on her best friend's cousin, but the idea was there.

"No, I don't think she's directly involved." Bonnie replied with a sigh. "I don't even think she actually knows the kind of stuff that happens here in Mystic Falls."

"What else could she be coming here to find if not the supernatural?" Caroline questioned. "I mean, Mystic Falls is a small town, barely noticeable unless you know it's there, other than our rather colorful history and the pretty outrageous stories that have originated through time regarding vampires and other mythical beings, I honestly can't think of anything important enough to attract anyone, especially not someone majoring on Psychology. If it were History maybe, with all the Civil War business, but this…"

"I know Caro, and my thoughts pretty much run along the same lines as yours." Bonnie agreed. "But you don't know Mia. I told you, she's a genius, and like all geniuses she's far too logical for her own good. She always seems to be analyzing everything, always seems to expect every single thing to have a logical explanation. The idea of vampires, witches and such would never go through her mind because it simply isn't rational."

"Well, rational or not, it's real enough." Damon deadpanned. "And if she stays around she'll be finding out soon enough."

Everyone directed incredulous looks to Damon, it's not like the supernatural were exactly a matter of public knowledge…

"What? I'm just being objective here." The older vampire shrugged. "I mean, with the Little Witch for a cousin, if she sticks around long enough she's bound to notice something odd sooner or later; and if trouble breaks out it'll most likely be sooner rather than later."

They both knew he was right. Even Elena, with no supernatural power at all, had noticed something didn't fit with Stefan. If Mia really was a genius she was bound to notice as well.

"So, what's the conclusion regarding this?" Caroline asked. "I mean, should we even try to hide the supernatural from her? Or do we just resign ourselves to the fact that she'll find out sooner or later and focus on something else?"

It was obvious for the sudden slight shaking in the blonde's voice that she wasn't talking solely about Mia anymore, she was also talking about Matt, worried about how he would take everything. If Damon was right when he said Mia would eventually notice things, and the young Sensitive had a feeling he was, then more likely than not Matt would be finding out too. She was both anxious and terrified about that prospect.

"I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get to it." Stefan decided finally. "While I really don't like the idea of so many people knowing our secrets; we can't get distracted hiding ourselves, not when we already know there's danger out there, waiting for us to lower our guard so it can attack us."

They all nodded, realizing how true those words were. At this point, there were more important things than preserving their secrets…like preserving their lives.

"Ok, so we'll let the matter of Mia be." Damon announced. "What else was there that needed to be said? I believe it's Elena's turn."

"I'm not sure if it's important or not, however it is certainly strange." Elena announced before she began her explanation. "Jenna told me this morning that Uncle John called her to inform her he's coming, he'll be here in two months."

"What's so special about your uncle coming?" Damon asked quirking his brow.

"That he's never come more than once every three years or more, and then he never stays more than a couple of days." Elena explained. "This time it's different, he's coming, when his last visit was just last year, in May, and from what he told Jenna he's planning on staying at least a month, for the festivities of the town's anniversary, supposedly."

"Supposedly?" Stefan quirked his brow now.

It was obvious for both brothers that there was something Elena wasn't saying, something that might explain why she actually found her uncle's visit so suspicious.

"Uncle John, he's the older of the two Gilbert brothers." Elena elaborated. "He's also a bit…odd, I guess you could say. From what I know he never went to college, he was in the army for a little while but even that didn't last. He also knows Mystic Falls' history, all of it, including the more 'unsavory chapters' of it."

"He knows about what happened in 1864?" Caroline asked, dubious.

"I'm not sure just how much he knows." Elena replied. "But I do know he's read all the ancestor's journals, and he takes them seriously, very seriously. I have very fleeting memories about him, like I told you, he was never around for long. But the second to last time…that one's stuck in my mind. For some reason, I don't know why, I have a feeling there's something important in it that I just can't recall."

"What do you remember?" Stefan inquired.

"I remember screaming." Elena answered, trying her hardest to concentrate. "Angry yells, from both him and my dad…they were disagreeing on something…something that seemed very important… I have no idea what exactly but… I think it somehow involved Jeremy, and me too. I… not a Gilbert?" she closed her eyes to concentrate more, her brow furrowed in frustration. "I don't understand. It's all so fuzzy." She opened her eyes. "I'm sorry, I don't remember much else. Only the discussion ended as abruptly as it began and my uncle left, we didn't hear from him again for five years… not until my parents' funeral."

"It's rather strange…" Damon commented.

"You said he mentioned something about not being a Gilbert." Caroline spoke. "Was he adopted or something like that?"

"I… no." Elena looked down suddenly. "I'm so sorry Caro, I totally forgot we hadn't told you this. I think he might have been talking about me. I am the one who's adopted, I'm not really a Gilbert, or not by birth at least, legally I am and…"

"You're adopted!" Caroline seemed evidently shocked. "How come I didn't know this?"

"Like I said, I'm really sorry." Elena insisted. "It's not like it's something I advertise; I only know thanks to Stefan. And even then, I decided a while ago that I wouldn't let it bother me, I have a family, blood or no blood, I won't let it be taken from me."

"We're your family too, never forget that." Caroline pointed out.

They all nodded empathically.

And it was in that very moment, as they heard no comment coming from her, that they all realized how silent Bonnie was.

"Little Witch?" Damon called her attention, confused.

"I'm alright." She reassured him, turning to Elena. "Elena, do you think there's any chance that in that memory might be something useful?"

"Yes." Elena was somehow sure of that. "But I already told you, it's all fuzzy, no matter how hard I concentrate it does no good."

"What if I could clear it up for you?" Bonnie suggested all of a sudden.

"Can you do that?" Elena was amazed.

"I've never done it before." Bonnie admitted. "But I have a feeling I can."

"Very well, lets do it." Elena decided right away.

Great was the auburn haired girl's surprise when her boyfriend stopped her before she could reach her best friend.

"Are you sure, lovely love?" Stefan questioned, worry evident in his expression. "We don't know what happened that day, you might end up hurt by this…"

"I'm sure Stefan, love." Elena insisted. "I don't know how I know this, but I really believe there's something in that memory, a clue that might help us discover what's going on with my uncle, what's causing me this feeling that his coming here is bad. Even if whatever happened that day hurts me, it will be worth it if it helps us prevent future disasters."

Hesitantly, Stefan let go of her.

"How do we do this?" Elena asked her witchy friend.

"Lets sit down." Bonnie decided. "I don't know how traumatic this might be for either of us, so it might be better if there's no chance of us suddenly falling down."

Elena nodded in acquiescence.

The group walked into the house, as they had been talking in the backyard. Bonnie and Elena sat in the biggest sofa, slightly sideways, with their respective beloveds standing behind them, ready to hold them if the need came.

Taking a deep breath Bonnie touched the palms of her hands to Elena's temples, both girls instinctively closed their eyes before Bonnie slowly expressed her desire in gaelic, choosing her words with care, not wanting to get a different result.

The effect was instantaneous, as the memory came to the forefront of Elena's mind, as loud and clear as if it were taking place in that very moment; and yet, it wasn't replayed only in Elena's mind, but in Bonnie's too:

***Flashback***

A thirteen-year old child woke up in bed to the sound of masculine yelling from the office on the first floor. She blinked several times to clear her head, and suddenly she could recognize the voices: they were those of her dad: Grayson Gilbert, and her uncle, who had dropped in for a visit the day before: John Gilbert.

Like any curious child, the girl got out of bed and still barefoot and in her pajamas tiptoed out of her room and to the stairs, she sat in one of the highest steps, carefully looking through the bars, keeping herself to the shadows. Somehow, instinctively, she knew nothing good would come out of her being found.

From her position she could see the almost-fully-closed door of her dad's office, and the shadows as the two men inside moved; she could also hear perfectly well what they were saying, even if she didn't understand more than half of it all.

"You know why exactly I'm here Grayson, have known this time was coming for quite a while." John's cold voice sounded.

"So, because you couldn't have a son yourself now you've come to take mine?" Grayson replied in a very serious tone. "No, it won't happen. I won't allow it."

"This isn't about you allowing anything Grayson, and you know it." John insisted. "This is about the Gilbert legacy, a legacy that boy is entitled to."

"A legacy that isn't needed!" Grayson retorted. "Hasn't been in more than fifty years."

"That's what you believe…"

"Oh please John, you can't tell me you think monsters are gonna come attack us at any given moment. These are different times…"

"That you don't see them, doesn't mean they aren't there. I wonder if you would know them if you were to see them." Silence for a few seconds. "I guess not. You were always a very idealist man Grayson, too much for your own good maybe. Like when you chose to help that little slut. You opened your house to a total stranger, gave her everything, and what did you get in exchange? Not even a thank you! Oh, and she also left you her burden…"

"Elena is not a burden! She's my daughter!" The rage was suddenly very clear in the voice of the girl's father. "You better think twice before speaking John, I won't have you insulting my family in my own home!"

"She's not a Gilbert, therefore no family of mine, I can call her whatever I wish."

"Not in my home, no."

"Very well, hand over the boy and I'll leave."

"Hand over? That's my son you're talking about now. He's a boy, not merchandise! And you can't have him. I won't have you corrupting him, making him believe monsters will leap at him and kill him at any moment, that it's somehow his duty to move against them. I won't have him live that kind of life, that kind of nightmare."

"You don't understand brother." Now John sounded condescending, as if he were talking to a disobedient child and not his brother. "You don't have a choice in this…Jeremy is a Gilbert, and I will teach him the right way to be one…"

"You will do nothing!" Grayson yelled. "And I want you out of my house right now! You will never be laying a hand on either of my children."

"I suggest you reconsider this brother. You'll live to regret it…or maybe you won't."

"Is that a threat?!"

"No, just a warning."

And then the office door was violently opened and the older Gilbert stepped out, his steps long and hard. He was halfway to the door already when suddenly his head snapped to the side, his eyes fixed on the little girl's figure still on the stairs in a second.

"Nosy little brat, you'll see…" He began as he changed his course and went to the child.

"Stop!" This time it was Grayson's wife, Miranda Sommers-Gilbert's whose voice was heard.

"I told you, you wouldn't lay a single hand on my children!" Grayson added as he followed his older brother out of the office.

John cursed in a low tone and after another harsh glare to the girl turned around and walked to the door once again.

"Miranda, take Elena back to bed please." Grayson indicated his wife.

The older woman nodded immediately, hurried to the stairs, scooped the girl into her arms and took her to the room.

Elena, for her part, remained immobile, too shocked and scared to say or do anything at all. She knew her mom was asking her questions, about what she was doing there, what she had heard, if she was alright, but the girl just couldn't find her voice to answer her mom…was she even her mom, something her uncle…something John Gilbert had said seemed to imply she wasn't, that she wasn't really theirs…then who were her parents? It was all so confusing, Elena couldn't seem to be able to wrap her head around it.

Then her dad…Grayson Gilbert was there, he handed her some pills, said they were a special medicine she needed to take; and she was too far gone to complain, she took them, and fell asleep just a couple of minutes later.

***End of Flashback***

"Oh my God…" Both Bonnie and Elena gasped as they returned to reality.

"What is it?" Both their boyfriends and Caroline were evidently worried.

"Well…" Both friends turned to look at each other, and after coming to a silent decision declared: "More trouble…"

 _And I still believe in the good_

 _And I still believe in the light_

 _And I wanna feel the sun_

 _I wanna free you tonight_


	5. Legacy

I know things are going a bit slow right now, but I need to get everyone into the right place before we can really jump into action. I hope you'll enjoy the journey nonetheless.

I really have nothing more to say right now. Except I really hope some of you will take the time to comment, tell me what you like, what you don't, anything at all. I know people are reading this, because they're adding to their alerts, and to their favorites, but I'm hardly getting any reviews, and that saddens me. No, I'm not holding chapters hostage, I cannot even try and blackmail you with them, since I'll be honest here and say I've finished writing this fic. Currently I'm planning on posting every other week. That might change in the future, but I'm making no promises right now.

So, that's it for now, see you around!

* * *

 **Chapter 4. Legacy**

Jeremy had caught up with Itziar right as she walked away from her locker.

"Hey." He greeted her. "Still up for this afternoon?"

Itziar's head snapped up in his direction, as if startled.

"Is something wrong?" He questioned. "I mean, if you have other plans that's totally fine…"

The girl turned to the nearby window, through which the rays of the afternoon sun could barely be seen as they bypassed the thick branches of the trees; she seemed to find something there because she turned back to Jeremy with a barely visible smile.

"Sure, lets go." She told him.

Jeremy was still a bit confused by her reaction but decided to push that aside and offered to carry her backpack for her as they made their way out the building.

Maybe the only good thing about Mystic Falls being such a small town was that almost everything was close by, most people could walk any important place they may want or need to without any trouble.

"So, where should we begin?" Jeremy questioned his young companions as they stood finally out of the school property.

"You live here…" Itziar shrugged.

Jeremy found her attitude strange, how little she talked and the way she didn't seem to care. Still, he knew she was capable of more, somehow he knew, and damned if he wasn't going to try to bring her out of her shell.

The young Gilbert honestly had no idea why he suddenly cared so much about what the new girl thought, or her attitude. It'd been so long since he'd cared about anything at all, since even before his parents' death actually.

For so long he'd felt like he wasn't good enough, like he just couldn't make his mom and dad proud; then they died and he no longer had that option. His sister had gotten over it, but how could she not? She was the perfect Gilbert after all. Obedient girl, great student, dedicated friend, giving soul, the model daughter all-in-all; and what was he? A screw up. Only he didn't want to be a screw up, not anymore.

He knew he'd messed up, bad, first the drugs, then Vicky, for so long he hadn't cared if things went to hell as long as he didn't have to think about it. But now he did care, he wanted to change. And somehow he had come to believe that the new student: Itziar Saltzman, was as good a place as any to begin.

"Ok. I think I know the perfect place to begin." He told her suddenly, his eyes bright as he came up with something. "Follow me!"

.-.

It had been about five minutes since Bonnie and Elena had come out of the trance, Bonnie was sitting in the loveseat, drinking avidly from a glass of water Caroline had procured for her, the spell she'd used to clear Elena's memory had worn her out more than she'd expected. Elena, for her part, was curled up in the bigger sofa, half her body laying against her boyfriend's chest, shoulders shaking, and yet no tears, as if she weren't sure if she should be crying or not. Bonnie honestly wasn't sure either.

The rest had no idea of what exactly the girls had seen, and therefore how to react.

The only half-exception was Caroline, who kept her eyes fixed on Elena as she went through the wide variety of emotions her younger would-be sister was feeling at the time.

"What are you feeling?" Damon was the first to realize what the blonde was doing.

"So many things…such different feelings at the same time." Caroline answered softly.

"Anything useful?" Damon inquired.

"It's not like I can know the cause for each of her feelings." The Sensitive reminded him. "I feel self-consciousness, guilt, nervousness, confusion, sadness, a slight anger, protectiveness, grief…but the greatest feeling right now is love: boundless, unconditional love."

Yes, a quite extensive and confusing combination indeed.

"Lovely love…" Stefan called softly, as he brushed a lock of hair from his girlfriend's face. "Are you alright?"

"Yes…" Elena's voice was so low it could barely be heard.

And yet, as Caroline could attest to, she was saying the truth.

At least a full minute more passed before Elena finally began straightening up, though in the end she was still sitting against Stefan, she was no longer curled up on herself, facing her friends now; for some reason not caring about the wet trails on her cheeks and the slight puffiness on her eyes.

"Lena…" Caroline began.

As a Sensitive, it was in her nature not only to feel what others did, but also to try her best to understand it and help the person with said feeling deal with it. Usually it was an instinct she had to ignore, least others realize she wasn't exactly normal. But with her friends, her true family, she didn't have to fight that instinct, still, it didn't make it any easier to actually help though, since she'd no idea whatsoever what the cause for her sister's feelings was.

"I'm alright Caro, I promise you." The brunette insisted.

The blue eyed brunette's voice didn't break, though it was still somewhat soft; and yet, there was something in her voice that hadn't been there before, a silent strength that was invisible yet evident at the same time.

"Lovely love…" Stefan began again.

"He loved me." Elena stated.

The statement was so sudden, and so distant from what any of those present could have been expecting, it through them for a loop. There was also the fact that in that one sentence Elena's new quiet strength became even more evident than before.

"Who?" Caroline asked.

The blonde went quickly through Elena's feelings, recognizing that those words might be related to that deep love she felt; and yet being unable to understand how a long-repressed memory related to a hardly-ever-seen uncle was linked to that in any way.

"My dad…and my mom too I guess." Elena explained. "They loved me. Even when I wasn't their daughter biologically…" Elena sniffed, as two more tears left new trails down her face, it was as if the whole thing was still new to her. "They loved me."

"Well, of course they loved you, they were your parents." Damon said, simply.

And yet, even as he said that he knew it wasn't that simple. One only had to see Caroline, who's father had walked out on her and her mother was never there; or his own spouse, who had lost her mom so long ago, and she might as well have lost her father, for all the time she saw him; and now Elena, who seemed to be an orphan twice over.

Caroline caught up with the whole barrage of emotions a few seconds later.

"That was your fear, wasn't it?" She asked, though not expecting an answer. "It's why you never talk about being adopted. You feared that maybe your parents didn't really love you, because you weren't theirs biologically." She smiled apologetically. "Oh Lena! You should have told us, should have trusted us."

"What good would it have done?" Elena asked, a sad smile on her face. "Both you and Bonnie have it worse than I do. I at least was happy with them for seventeen years. So very happy. I grieved them when they were gone and then…and then I found out I wasn't really their daughter, that I was adopted, and a part of me couldn't help but fear that maybe they hadn't really loved me. Maybe it all had been pretend, they'd taken pity on me, a poor orphan, and took me in, the poor girl who had no one…"

"Now, even without knowing what you saw, I know that's not true." Stefan spoke, caressing her cheek. "Remember what I told you when I confessed to you about the first time we met?"

She remembered, she most definitely did.

"What are you talking about?" Both Caroline and Bonnie spoke at the same time.

They of course knew now that Elena was adopted, but still didn't know the details. And it was normal, at first too much was happening with Bonnie for Elena's troubles to be considered too important; and then, they had wanted nothing but to get a break from the near tragedies that had gone down in December.

"Oh, nothing much." Damon spoke nonchalantly before anyone else could. "It's just that my dear brother couldn't help but bring out his inner-stalker when he followed little Elena around last summer, all from the shadows of course. He was fascinated by her since he saved her from drowning in the lake…"

"Drowning?" Caroline began, askew.

"The bridge…" It was obvious the wheels in Bonnie's brain were turning.

"The accident at Wickery Bridge?!" Both girls cried out at the same time, then they turned to Stefan and, still in synch, added. "You were there?!"

"Yes." Elena nodded as he directed a grateful smile to her boyfriend. "He was the one who got me out of the car. He's the reason I'm still alive."

"I'd come to see Zack, and see my home." Stefan explained. "I had just hunted in the woods when I heard the accident. I ran as fast as I could, but by the time I got to the river the car was already submerged. I dived and went to the person that would be easiest for me to get out: in the driver seat was Grayson Gilbert. Right as I was about to break his door to get him out he turned to me, he was still alive, and awake; he told me to leave him, to get his daughter out. He said that was all that mattered. So I did as he asked, I moved to the back of the car, forced the door open and got the unconscious Elena out. I went back as soon as I could leave her in the riverbank, sure she was going to survive; but by then it was too late already, both Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert had drowned."

"You saved Elena…without even knowing her." Caroline was flabbergasted.

"Of course." Stefan answered, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and for him maybe it was, it was just who he was.

"He followed me around to make sure I wasn't Katherine." Elena explained. "And once he was sure of that, he still wanted to meet me, so he enrolled in high school."

"Aw…" Both her 'sisters' found the whole thing endearing.

Damon just rolled his eyes.

"The thing is, that even after knowing all this, knowing I hadn't been born a Gilbert, made me doubt if I had ever really had a family." Elena explained. "I mean, my birth mother abandoned me the day after I was born, I have no idea who my birth father might be; and then my parents, my adopted parents, I had no idea of what they thought about having me as a daughter. Did they take me in out of pity, or because they were having trouble conceiving, or…? I didn't even know what to think. But now…now I know, for a fact, they loved me."

"What made you change your mind?" Stefan questioned.

"The memory that I couldn't fully recall." Elena explained. "It was an argument between my Dad and Uncle John, a very harsh argument. At some point during all that was said, Uncle John mentioned that I wasn't really a Gilbert, that my mother was a slut and I a burden…but my Dad denied it all, he said I was his daughter, as much as Jeremy was his son, and that he wouldn't allow anyone to insult us in his home." Elena smiled brightly. "He loved me. Even when I'm not his own blood, he still loved me."

So many times Elena had said she didn't care if she was adopted or not, so many times she had repeated how it didn't matter to her what had happened when she was born. It had all been a lie, she cared, it mattered to her, maybe too much; she'd just been too afraid of the answers to ask the questions. And now she knew, now she knew the truth without having to search for it, and it was as if a very heavy weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She might have been adopted, her birth parents might not have wanted her for whatever the reason; but her adopted parents did, blood or no blood, they'd loved her, from the day she came into their lives, to their dying breaths. That was more than enough for Elena.

.-.

Jeremy and Itziar were walking down the Main Street in silence, there was nothing Jeremy wanted more than to talk with the beautiful but mysterious new girl, but there was something in her aura than intimidated him too much to try.

They had been walking like that for almost a full fifteen minutes, and when Jeremy finally decided to try and strike up a conversation, he noticed someone he hadn't expected seeing there, and really would have preferred not seeing:

"Hey Gilbert!" It was Tyler. "Where you going?"

The teenager, two years older than Jeremy, broader, and a few inches taller moved to stand in the younger boy's way.

"Leave me alone Tyler, I'm not in the mood." Jeremy replied, moving to walk around the bigger boy.

"Well, I am, so what's it to you, Jerry?" Tyler mocked him, while pushing him to the side.

"Stop it Tyler!" Jeremy snapped. "What's your problem?"

"None whatsoever." Tyler replied with a laugh. "Just trying to figure out what such a geek like you could have done to have a hot chick following him around."

As he said this Tyler turned his attention to Itziar, staring deeply at her, from feet to face, it was such that it made Itziar feel uncomfortable.

"Leave her alone Tyler." Jeremy warned the older boy.

"Or what Gilbert?" Tyler challenged him. "What are you gonna do? Nothing, because you're nothing more than a…"

"Enough!" Itziar interrupted him. "Why won't you leave us alone?"

"Do you really want me to leave you, baby?" Tyler asked, extending a hand to touch Itziar's arm. "I promise you I'm way better company than Jerry here…"

"Don't touch me!" Itziar snapped, slapping his arm away.

It all happened very fast.

Suddenly Tyler was rushing at her, as if he were about to actually hit her, Jeremy held her by the waist, pulling her back and around before Tyler could touch her, instead he ended up sprawled on the floor after being tackled by the taller boy.

Itziar too fell down, but she was back on her feet almost immediately, surprise flashed quickly through her expression, almost immediately replaced by a strange coldness.

"Jeremy!" She called, honestly worried.

It was as if something had snapped in Tyler, he suddenly looked absolutely furious, something Jeremy was able to notice even as he received a very hard punch in the face.

"Hey Ty!" They heard a voice from across the street.

It was Matt, coming out of the Mystic Grill, still dressed in his work-clothes, he had apparently noticed Tyler getting out of control and decided to go help.

"Chill out man." He called at the same time he began pulling on his friend, trying to get him off Jeremy.

It took a while, but finally Matt was able to pull Tyler back onto his feet.

"What the hell is wrong with you man?" Jeremy protested, still on the floor, as he touched his busted lip, it hurt like hell.

"I don't know…" They barely heard Tyler mumble, before he was practically running away.

"Great…" Jeremy muttered to himself as he cleaned the blood on his lip with the back of his hand. "Just great."

"I honestly don't know what's wrong with him." Matt commented as he offered Jeremy a hand to get back on his feet. "He didn't use to be like this."

"Well I don't know what might have changed, nor do I care really." Jeremy spat. "He can be as mad as he wants, but this, getting his frustrations off on me, is getting old pretty quickly."

"I know man, I'll try to talk to him." Matt reassured him.

Jeremy just shrugged, it's not like he believed it would do any good.

"Itziar…" Jeremy suddenly seemed to recall how he had gotten in that tight spot in the first place. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, thanks to you." Itziar nodded. "Though you really didn't have to do that. I can handle myself, even against brutes like him."

"Don't worry about it, it's not like it's the first time he punches me." Jeremy tried to brush it away. "And I wasn't about to let him get a go at you, with him acting like a total lunatic all of a sudden…No, no way."

"Well, thank you again." Itziar nodded. "Now, I believe you were taking me somewhere?"

That instantly brightened Jeremy's mood.

"Right, this way." He declared, leading the way once again.

Itziar briefly turned back, in the direction Tyler had gone, but after seeing nothing she just shrugged and followed after Jeremy.

.-.

Silence reigned for a few minutes, while they all wanted to know what else of importance Elena and Bonnie might have gotten from the memory, they also knew how important that moment was for Elena, and allowed her to bask in the realization of her family's love.

"Right, the memory." Elena nodded after a little while. "Aside from what I just told you, my Uncle seemed to be very insistent on something, he wanted Jeremy."

"Your brother?" Damon did a double take. "What for?"

"He said something about being a true Gilbert, it made my dad really angry." Elena answered, obviously not fully understanding herself. "A legacy…?"

"The Gilbert Legacy…" Damon and Stefan whispered at the same time.

"You know what he was talking about?" Elena asked, very interested.

"Yes." Stefan nodded.

"The Gilberts have always fathomed themselves as Hunters." Damon began his explanation.

"Vampire hunters?!" Caroline was flabbergasted.

"Vampire, werewolf, witch, you name it." Damon said, giving little importance to it. "However, I said they made themselves out to be Hunters, not that they actually were."

That brought the blonde up short.

"Even back in the time when Stefan and I were still human, the Gilberts seemed to have a penchant for drama," Damon explained, sardonically. "They would talk about the war, as if they had actually been there, though everyone knew they had actually avoided drafting when the time came. When rumors first began about the 'things that go bump in the night' they immediately tried to become the heroes." He chuckled. "There were two brothers, actually, there's always been two. The older, who's supposed to be the Hunter, and the younger, who keeps the knowledge as well as the lineage."

"The lineage?" Elena inquired.

"The oldest Gilbert brother never has any children, or even a wife for that matter." Stefan explained. "They are meant to live alone, with no attachments, nothing to lose, so they can fight with no self-limitations."

"That's stupid." Caroline snorted. "If you have no one, what reason have you to fight in the first place?"

"Don't ask me, I didn't make the rules, they made them themselves." Stefan replied.

"Stupid rules indeed." Damon nodded. "Especially since they never had any actual talent for hunting, like I said before."

"How could they be hunters, when they didn't have the talent?" Elena asked.

"Because someone else did the work for them." It was the first time Bonnie spoke since that particular line of conversation had been taken.

"Someone else?" Caroline parroted, confused.

"The gadgets the Gilbert family possesses, which they supposedly use in their 'duty' as Hunters, they didn't invent any themselves." Bonnie explained.

"The compass…" Elena recalled the object that still remained in her nightstand. "You mean Jonathan Gilbert wasn't the one who created it?"

"No." Bonnie shook her head. "He thought he did, but there's just no way a human could have invented something like that, a compass actually capable of tracking down vampires. No, that was Emily's doing."

"Emily…" Caroline suddenly understood. "She spelled the compass to react to the presence of vampires, didn't she?"

"Yes." Bonnie nodded. "Jonathan never knew she'd interfered, he always believed he'd somehow done it himself. Why else do you think there's only one? I'm sure if he'd been able to he would have made enough for the whole council."

"And we would be in more trouble than we were recently." Stefan pointed out.

"True." Damon agreed. "It was bad enough when they had that compass, before we got it back. If there had been more…"

"I would have been able to render them useless." Bonnie deadpanned. "What should worry us isn't the compass, but the other objects Emily created for Jonathan."

"Other objects?" That took them all by surprise, even the Salvatores.

"What objects?" Stefan asked.

"Where can we find them?" Damon demanded at the same time.

"I don't know." Bonnie replied. "Only the compass was mentioned in Emily's grimoire, though it did mention that other objects existed. Grams and I tried to find some of her old journals, but apparently they were all burnt when she was condemned for witchcraft. There's no way of knowing what other gadgets may be out there, or even how many."

"Maybe in Jonathan's old journals…" Elena suggested. "I'll have to find a way to get them from Jeremy, and we'll go through them."

"You think that will help us know what the things are and where to find them?" Caroline didn't sound very sure.

"I know it's a long shot." Elena acquiesced. "But unless someone else has a better idea…"

Silence.

"Then we'll do that." Elena declared.

"I better get going, before Mia starts wondering where I am." Bonnie declared.

"I'll drive you." Damon decided immediately.

"Maybe if I hurry I'll get to the Mystic Grill in time to see Matt as he finished his shift." Caroline announced, taking her bag.

"Wanna go for a walk?" Stefan asked Elena with a smile.

"Sure." Elena smiled at him.

A minute later, the room was completely empty.

.-.

The sun, its orange rays of light, could be seen in between the tops of the trees and the hills that surrounded the place where two young teens were standing in that moment.

Jeremy was laying against an outcrop of rocks, continuously checking on his busted lip, to make sure it wasn't bleeding anymore; though, it's likely that even if it did he wouldn't have cared, he couldn't help but smile at the look of total wonder in his new classmate's (and possibly friend) eyes as she watched the scenery.

They were in one of the many meadows that could be found in the Old Wood, however, this one in particular, was the biggest of them all, and the very thing their town owed their name to. It was full of falls, one big, about 50 ft tall, the other smaller, some so small they shouldn't actually be called falls.

It was definitely a beautiful place, and yet, few people actually went, since it was quite a walk to get there. However, it was so worth it.

The small girl stood a few feet away from the riverbank, just watching the water fall, letting the rush of it fill her ears. Her body seemed the most relaxed it had looked all day, and yet Jeremy was sure a part of her remained as alert as she had been when Tyler made a move to hit her and she'd been about to counterattack.

Yes, he'd known it then, had known it even as he moved to take the hit himself, she would have been able to take care of herself just fine; and yet, there had been something deep inside that was screaming at him to help her. Regardless of her own ability, he just had to help her. So he had. And what had he gotten, aside from a busted lip? Nothing, not even a thank you. Though it's not like he'd done it to get him to thank her, he wasn't expecting any thanks from her, not even for showing her the falls. Somehow, even with no smile on her lips, the expression in her eyes was enough for him.

In any other circumstances Jeremy could swear he was losing his mind, as it was he probably was, letting Tyler hit him for no good reason (and what was his problem anyway?) 'reading' emotions from somebody's eyes, doing things with no actual intention whatsoever. That was so not like him, and yet, it was all part of some kind of instinct the new girl seemed to bring out in him. If his aunt saw him she could probably go all girly and say he was 'falling in love' with the new girl, but there was just no way that was happening, after all, he'd just met her a few hours before, there was no way anybody could fall in love with someone in such little time, no way at all…right?

He probably would have continued with that line of thought if in that very moment he hadn't seen Itziar's knees suddenly buckle, causing her to stumble slightly before quickly regaining her footing, it happened so fast that it's likely that if Jeremy hadn't been looking in her direction he wouldn't have noticed.

"Are you alright?" Jeremy hurried to his side, stopping right before touching her arm, remembering she didn't like it.

"Fine." Her answer was cold, impersonal.

Jeremy looked at her deeply, trying to make out what was wrong with her, maybe she was tired? A corner of his consciousness also noticed the warmth in her eyes was gone, they were cold once again, as cold as they had been when she'd first arrived to class that morning, or when Tyler had gotten too close.

"Want me to take you home?" Jeremy offered.

"No, I can handle it." She assured him.

And before he could say more she had walked by him and was on her way to the woods. He was so shocked, it didn't even occur to him for the longest time that she hadn't asked him how to get to her dad's home…

.-.

A soft knocking could be heard in # 503, in Magnolia Street, which was the home of Robert E. Lee's History teacher, Alaric Saltzman, and more recently his newly adopted teenager daughter Itziar as well.

A few minutes passed before Alaric himself answered the door. What he found on the other side of the door was rather unexpected, a young girl, she could be no older than his senior students, though the way she dressed would suggest otherwise, she was carrying a briefcase in her hand and her all-in professional look seemed odd in someone with such a young face.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Saltzman?" The visitor inquired.

"Yes, that's my name." The man nodded, suspiciously.

Years acting as a Hunter had taught him to never trust anyone; and someone who he'd never seen and suddenly knocked on his door, knowing his name, was certainly suspicious.

"Who are you Miss?" He inquired.

He still held the door half closed, while the hand that couldn't be seen was reaching for anything that could serve as a weapon, just in case.

"My name is Amelia Rosenberg, you have probably heard of me." The young woman introduced herself, extending her free hand to shake the man's.

"A pleasure to meet you Miss Rosenberg." Alaric shook her head, though he was still suspicious. "But I'm afraid I had never heard of you before."

"Really?" That seemed to throw the girl for a loop. "How strange…" she took a piece of paper out of her jacket, reading something she'd previously written on it before turning to face him again. "You're Alaric Saltzman, are you not?"

"Yes," He nodded. "And once again Miss, how is it that you know my name?"

"I'm deeply sorry, I was so sure that you would know, I imagined she would have mentioned me at some point…" The girl began murmuring quietly.

"She?" Alaric was at a loss.

"Your wife? I'm looking for her," The girl explained. "I'm a student of hers."

"Excuse me, I think I heard wrong." He had to be hallucinating. "You're looking for whom?"

"She's your wife, isn't she? Mrs. Isobel Flemming-Saltzman…?"

 _And I still believe in the good_

 _And I still believe in the light_

 _And I wanna feel the sun_

 _I wanna free you tonight_


	6. First Threat

My apologies for the lateness, but I've been a mess of obsessions lately: first I watched CA:CW and it pained me so much I was going crazy with it, then I watched the AoS season 3 finale and it only got worse... I also ended writing two connected time-travel fix-it fics for that one. Then I finally went to the movies and watched XMA... I have no words to describe that, I'm actually still obsessing over that movie, and what few fanfics there are connected to it thus far. Through it all I kept forgetting that I was supposed to update this last weekend. So, again, apologies for the lateness, but here we are now.

Hope you'll enjoy the chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 5. First Threat**

About a week passed and there had been no sight of the strange inhuman-girl Damon had seen that night; Mia was acting a bit strange, but since Bonnie and her had been estranged for so long the witch wasn't really sure of what might be odd for the mahogany haired girl; there had been no further news regarding John.

"I don't like this." Bonnie muttered uneasily as she parked her car in the Salvatore driveway.

"Isn't there a saying that goes: 'No news is good news'…" Caroline quoted, unsure, from the passenger seat. "Or something along those lines?"

"Yes." Bonnie nodded as she opened her door. "But still, in this case, with no news we have no way of knowing what's coming, of being prepared. I don't like that."

"Well, what if you think of the worst that could happen." Caroline suggested as she got out. "And you prepare for that. That way you'll most likely be over-prepared…"

Bonnie almost visibly shivered as she went to take her bag from the back-seat of the car. She knew Caroline was only trying to help, but the blonde really had no idea of what qualified as 'the worst', neither did she for that matter, but she was sure that it would be much worse than what had happened when she was fourteen…and she'd barely survived that.

So focused was Bonnie in worst-case scenarios that she didn't actually realize what was going on until she stepped into the living room of the Salvatore home.

"You need a hand, Damon?" Caroline had asked in that moment.

Her words weren't surprising, what was surprising was what she was doing as she said them, she was standing on guard (or as much of a guard as someone untrained in actual fighting could), her vervain-spray in hand, pointed at a black-haired short teenaged-looking girl. In that moment she made a move to rush Caroline, only to cry out a moment later when the blonde sprayed her directly.

Half of Bonnie felt extremely proud and satisfied of Caroline, while the other half was busy following the chuckle that had sounded right as her friend had made the comment of helping Damon. What she found there was something the witch most defiantly didn't like: her spouse was being held against a pillar, by the neck, his toes barely brushing the ground, and the one holding him was a black haired woman in a business suit…a woman with shadows under her eyes and an aura that screamed darkness.

The witch's reaction was instinctive, a bolt of lightning shot from her palm and hit the woman's arm, it wasn't strong enough to initiate a fire, but enough to make her let go of him. The woman, the vampire, turned to Bonnie in an instant, only to find herself being thrown hard against a nearby table as the young woman held both hands before her.

"Mama!" The girl cried out.

Before she could even think about moving Caroline sprayed in her direction again, giving her enough incentive to stay put.

"What the hell do you think you were doing?" Bonnie hissed, angrily, while at the same time checking on her spouse. *Damon, are you alright?*

*Just fine cara.* Damon assured her. *The only reason things even got that far is because they caught me unaware….and she's older than me, therefore a tad stronger.*

*I'm guessing you know who they are.* Bonnie muttered as she used the wind to hold Pearl up and pull her closer.

*Pearl Zhu and her daughter Annabelle.* Damon answered. *You probably remember Anna, her mother was in the tomb.*

*I remember…* Bonnie sighed tiredly. *Again that cursed tomb…*

She couldn't help but think she should have been more through when destroying it, or at least thought of hunting down the vampires that may have gotten out earlier…

"Who do you think you are girl?" Pearl demanded. "Tell me!"

"I don't think you're in any position to make demands." Bonnie commented calmly, before looking over her shoulder to the other vampire. "And you, if you so much as think about attacking Caroline, me, or even moving…I'll turn your mother to ashes. I can do it."

Anna had no doubt about that, with how easily Bonnie was keeping her mother in the air, and Pearl was over 500 years old and a very powerful vampire.

"You're a Bennett." Pearl realized right then. "You should know then Emily had an allegiance to me and my daughter."

"Whatever allegiances my ancestor may have had, they aren't mine." Bonnie snapped back. "You came into this home, uninvited, and attacked someone I care for. You better have a very good reason for it, and you better tell it now, before I grow tired and decide to just call on fire and be done with it."

"Can you really kill someone in cold blood?" Pearl inquired, not quite believing it.

"Just six weeks ago I used a spell that destroyed the remains of Fell's Church, and with them at least a dozen vampires." Bonnie informed her emotionlessly. "So, wanna try me and see what I'm capable of? Why did you attack Damon?"

"I was trying…to make a deal with him." Pearl declared evasively.

"She wanted the names of the members of the Secret Council, and anyone else who may have vervain." Damon pointed out helpfully. "I, of course, refused."

"At which point you attacked him." Bonnie guessed. "What was supposed to be that? Some aggressive negotiations?"

"I offered him all he ever wanted…" Pearl insisted.

Not quite convinced, Bonnie's eyebrow arched as she turned to Damon.

"Katherine." Damon answered simply.

Behind them, Caroline snorted.

"Yes." Damon nodded with a smirk before turning to Pearl. "Get on with the times, Pearl, you were away for a century and a half…I don't care for that bitch, not at all…except, I hope never to have to see her again."

Pearl's eyes widened, she couldn't believe what she was hearing. She could still remember the human Damon, all those years before, how hung up he'd been on Katherine, how devoted, how… and yet, he truly didn't seem to care at all about her anymore. And then, as her eyes traveled from the vampire to the witch still holding her up she realized why.

"You do know what Katherine will do once she finds out about this?" Pearl commented with a half grin. "She'll destroy you both. As well as any human friends you may have."

"Let her try." Bonnie snarled at the threat. "Want me to show you what I'll do to her if she even thinks about doing anything to my Damon?"

At that Bonnie let go of the wind keeping Pearl up and then snapped her fingers, instantly a flame appeared on her hand, and she began to play with it, watching the flame and Pearl intermittently, as if considering the possibility of throwing it at the vampire-woman.

"You really think a witch is enough against someone like Katherine?" Pearl asked as she got on her feet, mindful of the fire. "If Emily couldn't do anything, what makes you think you can, little Bennett?"

"I'm much different from Emily." Bonnie answered simply.

"And she's not alone." Caroline put in her five cents, her eyes still on Anna.

Pearl chuckled darkly, honestly believing they were all insane.

"Whatever." She declared. "I care not. Annabelle, we're leaving."

"You try to attack Damon, or anyone I care for again, and I'll turn you into ashes." Bonnie threatened coldly.

Pearl didn't answer to that, choosing to simply leave. She was furious that a child, even if the child was a witch, had gotten the better of her. She would find a way to make her pay, to make them all pay; not just for the humiliation she'd suffered that day, but for the pain of the last 146 years, for that, she would make everyone in Mystic Falls pay.

The moment the door closed Bonnie rushed to Damon, immediately checking him up and down, making sure he was alright.

"I'm fine." Damon assured his spouse, holding her face between his hands and making her look at him directly. "I told you, the only reason she even got that far was because she caught me unaware. I wasn't expecting her at all. I thought she would have done the intelligent thing and gotten far from this town as soon as her daughter got her out."

"Yeah well, some people do say common sense is the least common of senses." Caroline quipped with a shaky chuckle.

"Caro, are you alright?" Bonnie inquired, turning to her friend.

"Fine." Caroline nodded before letting herself fall on the nearest chair. "Just a bit shaky."

She may be blonde, but Caroline was certainly no idiot. She knew the kind of risk she'd put herself in when she'd faced against the vampire-girl, Anna, she was a vampire, and as such, much stronger and faster than Caroline could ever hope to be, the only reason the girl hadn't done anything was because Bonnie had had her mother.

"What you did was very brave." Damon pointed out.

"And very stupid." Caroline added sarcastically.

"Maybe." Damon agreed. "But that doesn't make your actions any less brave. Thank you."

Caroline nodded once, silently.

It had taken a while, but the two of them had managed to put the past behind. There was still a lot the blonde didn't remember of what had happened when she'd dated Damon, although she knew they weren't good things, she knew he'd fed on her, many times, used her for sex, and she had reason to suspect he may have tried to kill her…more than once. Still, that Damon was very different from the one that stood before her in that moment, that had married her best friend not long before. So Caroline had agreed to forgive what she could remember, and not think about what she couldn't. Damon, for his part, did remember, and he knew how wrong it all was; he could hardly believe the blonde had agreed to put it all behind, but knew better than to see a gift horse in the mouth.

In the end, they both deeply cared about Bonnie, each in their own way, and they weren't about to allow anything that may be between them to hurt Bonnie, so they had put the past behind. It just wasn't important anymore, or so they said…

It was right then that Stefan and Elena stepped into the living room.

"Hey, the front door was open, is everything…?" Elena didn't even need to finish the question, she could see in her friends' faces that something had happened.

"Is everyone alright?" Stefan asked.

"Perfect." Caroline answered, with a deep breath, finally recovering from the scare.

"What happened here?" Elena inquired, very worried.

"Pearl and her daughter were here." Damon pointed out. "Wanted information, things like the names of the people in the Secret Council, who may have vervain, that sort of thing…Oh, and they thought I would tell them in exchange for information about Katherine."

"What…?" Elena asked, disbelieving, looking at Bonnie and Damon together. "But…?"

"She didn't know that things had changed." Bonnie said simply. "I set her straight." She then turned to her other friend. "And Caro held Annabelle at bay."

"Are you ok?" Elena asked the blonde, worried.

"Just fine." Caroline assured her. "The brat didn't dare try anything after she got burnt when trying to hold my neck and then getting sprayed. There's also the fact that Bonnie was holding her dear mother and threatening to turn her to ashes so…yeah…I think I'm just crashing after the adrenaline rush."

She most definitely was, so Stefan handed her a glass of water in an attempt to help her somewhat. He understood what Caroline had done, the risks she had taken, and knew that she realized that as well, therefore the shock she was in.

"How much of a problem are those two gonna be?" Caroline asked after a while.

Stefan shrugged.

"Honestly, I have no idea." Damon admitted with a sigh. "Back in 1864 Pearl was a business woman, she owned an apothecary, which her daughter Annabelle helped her run. She was the first among the vampires to realize humans in Mystic Falls had discovered such a thing as vampires existed and were among them, when some of the housewives began asking for a 'new elixir' they'd heard about."

"Vervain." Stefan nodded in understanding.

"Yes." Damon agreed. "I think Pearl wanted to leave right away, but Katherine insisted on staying. Maybe she wasn't ready to turn us yet…who knows?"

"Wasn't there something between Pearl and Jonathan Gilbert?" Elena inquired.

"There was interest, on both sides, that's for sure." Damon answered. "But it never got further than some walks and conversations, as far as I know. Pearl was one of the first vampires to be caught, Jonathan Gilbert himself caught her, with aid of his compass."

"He betrayed her." Bonnie muttered with a tired sigh.

"What…?" Stefan had no idea what Bonnie meant.

"If Pearl holds any resentment at all…it's not gonna be good." Bonnie elaborated. "She may hate Mystic Falls in general for the situation with the Church, she may even hate Katherine, Damon and Stefan for being indirectly responsible for her ending up there. But if she will hate anyone at all it will be…"

"Jonathan Gilbert." Elena went on, understanding where her friend was going. "And since he's been dead for over a century that means she just might go after Jeremy and I to get her revenge. And the Spirits know what her reaction will be to me looking like Katherine…"

"It won't be good." Damon nodded. "Katherine and Pearl were close friends back in 1864, but it's been a very long time, and after Katherine managed to get herself out, not caring at all about those she left behind…as far as she knew they were going to die…"

"Yeah, I seriously doubt Pearl is exactly thrilled with Katherine right now." Bonnie nodded seriously. "So, either for being a Gilbert, or for her looks, Elena is a prime candidate for Pearl's revenge."

"I won't allow it." Stefan stated strongly. "I will protect Elena."

Elena didn't answer to that statement, just smiled and held tightly onto Stefan. While she was training, she knew there was no way she could stand against someone like Pearl, even when the only time she'd seen the vampire was when she was half-dead, as her daughter took her out of the tomb, Elena knew she was an old vampire, much older than Damon or Stefan, which meant she was also much more powerful than them…the blue-eyed just hoped Jeremy or Jenna wouldn't end up in danger, again, because of her. At the same time she couldn't help but wonder: would it ever end? The trouble? The evil? The danger? Probably not.

"I really don't like this." Bonnie commented right then as she caressed Damon's arm. "The fact that anyone can just enter this house. The fact that you could be attacked at any moment."

"It's bad." Stefan agreed. "But there's nothing we can do about it, since there's no living human living here, not since Zack…"

Stefan didn't say anything else, he didn't need to, Damon just turned away. He knew it'd been wrong to kill Zack, but he had just been so furious, and half-insane at that point, after what had been done to him, he had snapped, if briefly, and ended up taking the life of the last living Salvatore…not something he was proud of, especially since he and Stefan had spent the last century and a half guarding the family, just like Damon himself had done with the Bennetts.

"Well, I can't exactly move in, not yet anyway…maybe after graduation." Bonnie commented half-absently.

Damon grinned, he liked that plan, though four and a half months were still much too long for him…they would need another plan for the meantime.

"Still, I will find a way." Bonnie went on. "A way to block the entrance to any vampire but you two." Her expression brightened. "Hey! There's a thought, maybe I can find a way to block the entrance from anyone who may wish you harm!"

"If you find a way to do that I will ask you to do it in my home too." Caroline commented.

"Mine too." Elena added.

As far as she was concerned it would be much easier to have a spell that wouldn't let anyone with bad intentions in, than try to somehow convince her aunt and brother not to invite people in. And still, what about witches, and any other creatures out there? Yes, the brunette liked Bonnie's plan, a lot.

.-.

A few days later Mia was in the guestroom of the Bennett home, her desk overflowing with books and notes, and in the middle the one written by Isobel Flemming-Saltzman. She couldn't help but play with the small pendant in a very long chain her cousin had given her just a few days before, the hazel-eyed had claimed it was just a trinket she wanted her cousin to have, Mia suspected there was more to it, but ignored it, she actually liked the thing; the thick platinum chain was long enough that the pendant laid between her breasts, it looked like a combination of three golds (pink, white and yellow) forming a star out of celtic knots and on a silver round medallion. It was really beautiful, and the symbol seemed familiar to Mia, even though she couldn't actually place it.

"I just…" she whispered out-loud. "I just don't understand…"

She could still remember, quite clearly, the day she'd gone looking for the woman, her mentor, her role-model…

***Flashback***

Mia was sitting in Alaric's living room, drinking a strange tea she'd never tasted before, across from her sat the man, observing her carefully. Things had been so strange as far as the girl was concerned, and she had only been there for five minutes thus far: first the man didn't have any idea who she was, then his reaction when she said she knew his wife, then the way he had offered her tea and stepped away from the door, without actually inviting her in, and the strange tea itself…

On the first topic she wondered if maybe he and Isobel were divorced or something like that, though the woman had never said anything in any of her e-mails of her calls that would indicate something like that. On the other front…Mia wondered if Mr. Saltzman was one of those humans who seemed to believe in vampires, he could very well be one of her subjects of study, or so she thought.

"Now, tell me again." Alaric instructed after what seemed like forever. "You claim to know my wife…how exactly?"

"She…well, I consider her my mentor of sorts." Mia explained embarrassed as she put down her cup. "I'm basing my thesis on some of her work, mainly the book she wrote; and she's been helping me, she gave me a lot of useful information, including the odd happenings of Mystic Falls. It's why I'm here, for that, and to see her of course."

"I think you got things wrong somewhere." Alaric pointed out tensely.

"Why?" Mia asked. "Does Mrs. Isobel no longer live here? Or is she on one of her trips? She told me about those too…"

"No…Miss Rosenberg…" The man seemed to hesitate on how to say things.

And truth be told, Alaric couldn't help but wonder if the girl was playing a joke on him, a very cruel one, or if she had things wrong somehow…there was the fact that she seemed awfully young to be working on a thesis, even if it was just for a bachelor's degree, she looked even younger than some of his senior students! (vampires not withstanding…)

"Is there a problem Mr. Saltzman?" Mia asked, noticing something was really wrong.

"I'm afraid so Miss Rosenberg." Alaric sighed tiredly. "I really don't see how you could be talking to Isobel…It's just not possible."

"But…" Mia was going to insist but he didn't let her.

"You see." Alaric continued. "My wife is dead, and has been dead for two years."

"But…but that's not possible!" Mia practically cried out. "The last time I talked to her on the phone…it was six months ago! It was when I began planning this trip to Mystic Falls, a couple of months later I heard you were here, working as a high-school teacher…I deduced she would be here too…It's true she hasn't answered any of my e-mails in the last month, since I told her I was coming but…"

"You were tricked, Miss Rosenberg." Alaric interrupted her. "You cannot have been talking to Isobel since, like I said before, she's dead."

Mia opened and closed her mouth several times, trying to find something to say; but even she knew that asking a still-grieving widower if he was sure his wife was dead was not only tactless but downright cruel. Still, the whole situation left her feeling confused and lost, two things she hadn't felt in a very, very long time…

***End of Flashback***

Among all her papers Mia had not just photocopies of texts she was using in her thesis, along with her own notes, but she'd also printed every single piece of communication between her and Isobel Flemming. She didn't want to believe that someone had cheated her, made her believe she was talking with someone already dead, but the truth was she hadn't received anything from the woman until shortly after the date her husband said she was killed.

"And there is just too much pain in him for it all to be a lie…" Mia muttered to herself as she sighed. "Which means I was the one lied to, by someone pretending to be my role-model!" she dropped her head among her papers. "What am I gonna do now? From the very beginning I knew this thesis was gonna be hard, my teachers all think I'm crazy. I'm not deaf, I hear what they say about me, how the genius finally cracked. But it all just seemed too good to ignore it. The fact that so many people, from different social, economical and geographical backgrounds can believe in the same creatures, the same non-existent creatures; and even without ever meeting each other they all seem to have the same ideas regarding them, like some kind of mass-delusion! It was the perfect topic for an experimental-psychology thesis! Isobel promised she was going to help me! She promised and yet… she's not here. I don't understand… What am I supposed to do now?"

It was truly a trying moment for the girl. It was the first time in her whole life that she'd actually traveled outside the town she'd been born in; the only reason she'd even done that was so she could finish her thesis, Isobel had told her so much about Mystic Falls, in her e-mails and calls that Mia knew it was too good a place to pass up for her field-research. It was also pretty convenient that she already had family living there, so she wouldn't have to worry about finding an inn or something like that.

And yet… what was she supposed to do now? While she was already there, and she already had most of the theoretical work finished, she had been hoping for Isobel's help while doing her field-work, surely someone who had gotten a Master degree in Parapsychology would be able to stir her in the right direction; to give her tips of how to study people without offending them or getting in trouble.

Truth be told Mia simply didn't know how to relate to 'normal' people, as far as she was concerned she'd never been one herself. With her parents being so much older than her, and especially than the parents of others her own age, she'd grown differently, been raised differently. She was used to old music, to quiet, to silence, to peace; she'd never seen the point to the wild parties other teenagers seemed to enjoy so much, or even sports (the fact that she was terrible at them notwithstanding). She'd always loved books, and science, and somehow one thing had taken to another until she developed a true passion for psychology. It'd been almost accidental that she learnt about parapsychology and experimental psychology, and both were so out of the norm, that they seemed like a good challenge, so she had gone down that path. She was too far into her thesis to change everything now, and it had taken her too long to even get that far, she wouldn't give it all up, she would find a way to finish that thesis; and at some point she would also try and find out just who it was she'd actually been e-mailing and talking to in the last eighteen months…

With her mind made up Mia decided she needed to get some air, her room was feeling hot and stuffy for some reason, or maybe it was just her own tension. In any case, a walk would do her good, so she put her jacket on, wound a scarf around her neck and after making sure she had the key her uncle had given her, she stepped out of the house.

"How strange…" Mia commented out-loud as she began walking down the sidewalk. "It's already afternoon, and Bonnie isn't back yet…" she sighed. "Maybe she went to see Mrs. Bennett, or with her friends. It's not like I can expect her to spend all her free time with me…"

So lost was the girl in her own thoughts she didn't notice the three men who began closing in on her, waiting until there was no one else around before actually blocking her path.

"Excuse me?" Mia asked, confused at what was going on. "Who are you?"

Her instincts her screaming at her that something was wrong, but she had no idea what that could be. Two of the guys surrounding her were barely a year or two older than her, and they looked like any teenage boy, what danger could they be?

"Who are you?" She insisted, not being able to help her nervousness. "What do you want?"

"For you to come with us." The older man finally spoke, taking a hold of her arm.

"I'm afraid I cannot do that." Mia answered, trying and failing to free herself. "My cousin is waiting for me and she will worry if she doesn't know where I am…"

"Oh, trust us, the witch will know where you are, where we all are." The man practically snarled as he held Mia even tighter.

"Witch?" Mia asked, confused. "What are you talking about?"

The man chuckled darkly, along with the others.

"So the pretty little thing doesn't know about the witch." The man said with a smirk. "Well, that will make things all the more interesting…"

"What do you want with Bonnie?" Mia demanded with as much strength as she could.

"I just want to…thank her, for her actions last month…" The man said ironically. "Yes, I will thank the witch for her actions…"

"Why do you keep calling her a witch?!" Mia cried out. "Witches don't exist."

"Sure they don't." The man smirked. "Just like vampires, right?"

Mia was about to deny the existence of vampires as well when, all of a sudden, she realized that the visage of the 'man' holding her captive had changed: there were dark shadows under his eyes, and the veins were dark and very visible, his irises red-tinted. She screamed briefly before blacking out.

"Oh…I am going to have fun with this one…" The vampire decided with a smirk. "A lot of fun…and then, for the main act: the Bennett witch, maybe even with one or two Salvatores on the side…"

.-.

Meanwhile, Bonnie had just gotten into Damon's car, they were outside Caroline's home, where the girls had been having an afternoon for themselves. It hadn't been until halfway through it that Bonnie had remembered her cousin, alone in her home and had felt bad for not trying to include her, she just wasn't used to the other girl being around yet.

The three friends had decided to cut the afternoon short and Elena and Bonnie had both given calls to their respective vampires so they would pick them up. Stefan and Elena had left right as Damon made his arrival, he'd been at City Hall, looking up for clues of where the vampires that had escaped the destruction of Fell's Church might be.

Caroline was still at her door, saying goodbye to Damon and Bonnie when suddenly the witch curled upon herself with a groan, at the same time as she pressed her palms to her temples.

"Bonnie?!" Caroline was already rushing to them before Bonnie had even finished groaning, tripping slightly at the sudden onslaught of emotion from Bonnie.

"Little Witch?!" Damon cried out, confused and worried at the same time.

"D…Damon…shield…please…" Caroline whispered as she panted.

It was until then that he realized the blonde had collapsed on her knees a couple of feet away from his car, apparently her powers were growing fast, but she didn't yet know how to filter emotions, in that moment both his shields and Bonnie's were down, and it was all too much for the young Sensitive.

Damon did as asked, and soon Caroline was back on her feet, though still panting. At the same time the shield seemed to also help Bonnie focus at least a little better.

"What is wrong, my Little Witch?" Damon asked her.

"Mia… she's been taken." Bonnie answered, eyes closed, as if searching for something only she could see. "She doesn't know why… doesn't understand… they want revenge and she doesn't know why… she's in danger and it's my fault."

"Who?" Caroline asked right away. "Who took her? Why?"

"The vampires from the tomb." Bonnie answered, and then with a gasp added. "They want revenge… They want me."

 _And I still believe in the good_

 _And I still believe in the light_

 _And I wanna feel the sun_

 _I wanna free you tonight_

* * *

In case any of you were wondering, we're still in the chapters I wrote years ago, before most of season 2 actually (I'm not even sure if I'd already watched the season 1 finally at the time I wrote this); anyway, my point is that that's why things are so different; then again, I'd already warned you all about that.

Hope you'll enjoy what's happened, and what's yet to come.

See ya in a couple of weeks or so!


	7. Last Warning

I'm still trying to get used to the whole 'posting every other week', so apologies if I'm not as constant just yet, I'm trying. I think I might actually be a day or so early this time, but I'm leaving on vacation tomorrow, so it just needed to be done today.

Hope you'll enjoy this chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 6. Last Warning**

When Mia woke up it was to a sight that seemed to have been taken from her darkest nightmares. She was sitting on a chair, tied to it in fact. She'd been so shocked by the whole thing, she did nothing, not even try to get herself free, or try to find out where she was.

"So, the little girl is awake… huh?" A voice called.

The girl didn't even need to turn, soon enough a man walked in front of her, the same one who had blocked her path when she'd gone on a walk, the same once who's face seemed to change so horribly before she fainted…

"Still think vampires and witches don't exist?" The man-vampire sneered at her. "Maybe you need a more hands-in approach?"

She could practically see him drooling at the idea for some reason as he approached her. However, before he could lay his hands…or fangs, on her, a hand stopped her. Another man, this one with very dark skin, he was shorter but seemed to have a quiet strength…

"What the hell do you think you're doing stopping me Harper?" The man demanded.

"Miss Pearl won't like this." Harper commented quietly. "She said we were not to go after any humans. And this one in particular has no knowledge of things."

"That's not my fault is it?" The other sneered. "It's the witch's own for not giving important information to those close to her. She should have known what would happen, that her actions would have consequences." He growled. "I'll have my revenge for Bethanne's death with hers, and then the Salvatores will pay for the Church…"

"Miss Pearl…" Harper began again.

"Miss Pearl has no authority over me." The man, Frederick, interrupted.

Mia could only watch the exchange with wide eyes, at some point both men's eyes had changed; and there was something in their stance, something dangerous, suddenly Mia couldn't help but hope Bonnie really was a witch, if only so there would be some hope of her to be saved; she had no idea what the Salvatores had to do with anything, but still.

"Guess I won't kill her just yet." Frederick decided then. "It will make things more fun if the witch sees that…" he chuckled darkly before turning to Mia. "But still, it's time you realize, once and for all that vampires most definitely exist… Mrs. Gibbons!"

What followed was something that Mia was sure she would never forget, so horrible, so sick, the way the…the vampire had bitten into the woman's wrist, ignoring her winces and groans as he drank her blood until she almost collapsed.

"Believe it now?" Frederick hissed before pushing the woman away.

Mia fainted again.

.-.

Still at Caroline's home, Damon closed his phone after talking to Elena. She and Stefan had seen Pearl and would be following her, to see if she was involved with Mia's kidnapping. Meanwhile Caroline was trying to keep herself focused while at the same time helping Bonnie focus so the witch could track down Mia. The pendant the hazel-eyed witch had given her cousin was special, besides having been treated with vervain, it served as an anchor, it should make it easier for Bonnie to find Mia; but every time she managed to brush the younger girl's mind, she was assaulted by her fear, confusion, horror and all sort of emotions due to what she was going through. At least Bonnie knew for sure Mia was alive, tied up in some place she didn't know, and badly traumatized already, but still alive.

The trio had gone back into Caroline's house, the girl hesitating for just a fraction of a second before inviting Damon in. They knew it would look suspicious if they were to stay by the car.

"Bonnie…" Caroline whispered.

"She's more calm now…" Bonnie whispered back right then as she, finally, began relaxing. "I think she might have blacked out again."

"If she just found out the supernatural exists it's really no surprise." Caroline commented.

"If she's as logical as you said…it's even less of a surprise." Damon added. "Her mind will have trouble dealing with the idea of a creature which's existence isn't 'logically' possible."

"I'm going to try to reach her." Bonnie announced as she began breathing deeply and focusing. "Try to talk to her, or at least look for her recent memories, see if I can find her that way. If not, still, being connected to her will make the locator spell easier."

Damon and Caroline nodded, keeping quiet so Bonnie could focus on her magic.

It took a while, but eventually Bonnie managed to connect to her cousin.

*Mia…?* Bonnie called. *Amelia are you there…?*

Bonnie could half hear an answer, her name being called, but her cousin was calling to her out-loud, and if she continued that it was likely that her captors would be able to deduce what was happening, that wouldn't be good.

*Don't talk Mia… think…* Bonnie instructed. *Think your answers at me, without saying anything out-loud.*

*Where… Where are you Bonnie?* Mia asked, half-drowsy and very confused.

*At a friend's house.* Bonnie answered simply.

*Am I dreaming?* Mia asked then, wondering how she was supposed to be communicating with her cousin when she was elsewhere.

*More-or-less.* Bonnie answered honestly. *I think you fainted. But I took the chance to reach into your mind. It wasn't easy, wherever you are, it's far from Caro's house.*

*I don't know where I am.* Mia answered softly, afraid. *Those that took me… they… they are monsters! They aren't human!*

*They're vampires, I know.* Bonnie replied calmly. *I know you were taken, I'm doing my best to find you. Don't worry Mia, we'll get you back.*

*Bo… Bonnie…?" Mia called, suddenly very hesitant. *Cousin…? Did they say the truth? Are you…? Are you really a witch?*

The mere question was enough to bring forward Mia's memories of everything that had happened since Frederick had blocked her path. Bonnie sighed, she had wanted so much to keep her cousin away from it all, from the madness and the danger… and it ended up being worse, because Mia hadn't even known she was in any danger, hadn't known how to stay safe.

*I'm sorry Mia, this is all my fault…* Bonnie whispered softly.

*Bonnie…?* Mia was shocked at that.

*What they said is the truth.* Bonnie informed her. *I am a witch, the last of the Bennett Line. I'll explain to you what that means, and everything else, once we get you back.*

*We?* Mia inquired, confused.

*Damon is going with me, probably Caro as well.* Bonnie explained.

*Damon…?* It took a moment for Mia to catch up with that. *Damon Salvatore?! No! That's a bad idea Bonnie. They want him too! That… vampire… he said he wanted the Salvatores as well as you!*

*Well, if they want us, they'll get us.* Bonnie's tone suddenly turned dangerous. *Though I very much doubt they'll be able to handle us.* her tone softened again as she added. *Don't worry cousin, we're coming to get you. I've found you…*

Bonnie's hazel eyes opened instantly and she took a deep breath to focus once again on the real world before turning to those awaiting her.

"She's at the Gibbons cottage, on the outskirts of Fell's Church." She announced. "There are two vampires from the tomb, and at least two more recently turned."

"Newbs…" Damon drawled boringly. "This will be a piece of cake. Lets go."

In seconds all three were on their way.

.-.

Mia opened her eyes slowly, she was still drowsy, but alert enough to see the vampire standing against the wall to her right; he was observing her quietly.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Mia asked in a low voice.

She didn't know why, but that particular vampire didn't bring out her fear the way the others, especially the gruff one did; maybe because he'd stopped the others from hurting her?

"Do you really not know anything about the supernatural?" Harper asked in turn.

"Huh?" Mia didn't quite understand the question.

"We saw you." Harper explained. "We followed you. Even if we cannot get into the witch's house, we know the work you do. You read and write about the supernatural, how can you do that and not know it's all real?"

"But it isn't!" Mia cried out, before sighing and correcting herself. "At least as far as I knew until an hour ago it wasn't."

"All you read and write…" Harper began.

"It's just things I read and write about." Mia answered tiredly. "As far as I was concerned, vampires, witches, werewolves, and anything else supernatural was part of a huge delusion that somehow was present in thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands of very different people all around the world. I was investigating the reasons, how such an elaborate delusion could be shared by so different groups of people; how they could all get it the same way…"

"Because it's not a delusion." Harper finished for her.

He could hardly believe it. She really was ignorant of everything, she'd had no idea that any of it was real, until Frederick and two of his newbs had abducted her… it made him feel sorry for her. And yet there was nothing he could do, except make sure they didn't hurt her; Frederick had followers, mostly newbs; Miss Pearl and Miss Anna knew nothing of it, they'd been away for days, researching on the changes to Mystic Falls. Harper was supposed to be in charge, but of course Frederick would never obey him, he'd been even more volatile than usual since learning that his girlfriend, hadn't made it out of the Church before the witch destroyed it.

"You were calling a name when you were unconscious…" Harper commented. "Bonnie…?"

"My cousin's name." Mia clarified. "Bonnie Bennett."

"Emily's descendant?" Harper's eyes widened.

He'd known Emily before the thing with the Church, he also knew it was thanks to the deceased witch that all of them were even alive, when they should have perished in the fire of Fell's Church. Their descendant had somehow opened the tomb, and later on destroyed it, along with at least a dozen and a half of vampires still in it.

"Emily?" Mia inquired, confused.

"Emily Bennett." Harper explained. "She too was a witch. It's a long story."

Mia could imagine. She'd read that name while studying Mystic Fall's history. The servant of some lady who'd been accused of witchcraft and burnt at the stake in 1864. When reading that Mia had been sure the poor woman had been a victim of massive hysteria, an innocent who had been killed for no reason at all…now she wasn't sure any longer.

"Bonnie is coming." Mia whispered, more to herself than to Harper. "She's going to rescue me… she'll be here soon."

"For your own good," Harper pointed out. "I honestly hope so."

Mia was about to say something else, that vampire confused her so much, he seemed so kind, and it didn't look like he wanted to hurt her; which made her wonder what exactly he was doing with the others. She opened her mouth to ask him exactly that when suddenly the door opened with a bang and the gruff vampire, the one that actually scared her, strode in, his face dark, his expression furious…something was definitely wrong.

In an instant Harper made a move to stop him, realizing things wouldn't end well for the human girl with the mood Frederick was in; however, the other vampire was older, if only by a few years, and got strength out of his anger, he threw Harper against a nearby shelf, making him groan and wince as pieces of wood scrapped him.

Frederick then turned to Mia, still tied to the chair, his face in the demonic visage she'd first seen an hour or two before, less than a block away from her cousin's home. It scared her as much as it had the first time: she screamed.

.-.

Caroline parked the car a little ways away from the Gibbons' place, at the end of the actual road, took a deep breath and moved to step out of the car.

"You know you don't have to do this Caro, right?" Bonnie asked softly, touching her arm. "This whole thing is gonna be very dangerous, even if Pearl isn't there."

Thus far neither Stefan nor Elena had called, so they supposed Pearl and her daughter must still be somewhere in Mystic Falls.

"I know." Caroline nodded calmly. "But Bonnie, we all know I'm your best chance for Damon to get inside, especially if Mrs. Gibbons is still inside; she won't invite Damon in, and if you're seen before we can get your cousin they might hurt her. We need to do things this way, I need to get Mrs. Gibbons to step out of the house, the rest I'll leave to the two of you."

Bonnie nodded solemnly, she didn't like for her friend, especially one who couldn't actually fight against vampires, to place herself in such danger, but there really was no other way.

With that Caroline stepped out of the car, as soon as she began walking away from it she did it with a limp and holding her left shoulder with her right hand, in case anyone was watching her as she made her way to the cottage.

Bonnie and Damon, for their part, exited the car from the opposite side, and with some help from a small concealment spell the young witch made sure they wouldn't be noticed.

"Mrs. Gibbons!" Caroline began calling when she thought she was close enough. "Mrs. Gibbons are you there?!"

For a few seconds the three began believing that maybe the vampires had already killed the woman, until they got an answer.

"Wh…Who is it?" It was indeed Mrs. Gibbons, standing by the window beside the front door, she looked sickly pale.

"Caro…Caroline Forbes." The blonde called, making her voice tremble. "I had trouble with my car, the breaks aren't working right. I… I hit my shoulder against the door when I finally managed to stop, and I think I twisted my ankle too somehow, it hurts." She let out a tiny sob. "My… My cellphone isn't getting a signal. I was… I wondered if you could let me use your phone so… so I can call my mom, or my boyfriend, or someone to pick me up."

Once again there was silence for what seemed to be a long while, before the woman spoke again in the same low tone.

"Come dear…" Was all she said.

Caroline made a show of walking to a side, as the steps lead to a side of the porch that went around three sides of the house instead of leading straight to the front door; once there she made a show of trying and failing to walk up the half a dozen porch steps, just in case anyone was watching from the second floor, or the shadows, since there was only one window in that side and it had thick curtains covering it.

"I… I can't walk up these steps!" Caroline let out some fake tears. "I'm… I am really sorry for all this Mrs. Gibbons, do you think you could… maybe help me…"

This time the silence was even longer, and there wasn't an actual answer, instead the door opened and the aged woman stepped out, even with the shawl she wore Caroline managed to make out the teeth marks on a wrist and several on her neck, it was sickening.

Caroline could sense the suspicion from those inside and was beginning to fear that the plan might not work when, unexpectedly, a cloud moved and the sun shone straight into the clearing where the house was located; Bonnie had used her magic to make it so the vampires wouldn't be able to follow the woman out, they wouldn't even be able to get too close to the windows unless they wanted to burn. It was perfect.

The blonde sighed and dropped the act as soon as she was sure things would be alright, a moment later Bonnie and Damon were standing behind her and Damon was talking to the woman in a low, hypnotic voice, probably trying to 'persuade' her to invite him in.

Caroline was distracted, looking around, trying to make sure Pearl and her daughter wouldn't be arriving any moment, when suddenly, from the corner of her eye, she caught Bonnie nodding solemnly. The next second she jumped at the sound of a neck breaking. She nearly screamed as Damon laid the aged woman's body down, would have if Bonnie hadn't covered her mouth with her hand.

"Wha…" She was shocked and horrified. "Why…?"

"It was necessary." Bonnie answered quietly. "We will explain later. Lets go."

Before Caroline could express any complaints, a sudden rush of terror distracted her, at the same time a female scream got them all to move.

"That was Mia!" Bonnie yelled as she began running.

With a simple move Damon kicked the front door in, which had been slammed close the moment the sun came out. It was enough to catch the first vampire unaware, allowing Damon to move and stake him. Bonnie stepped in behind Damon and was already calling on fire and incinerating two vampires before they could reach her spouse; two others fell in quick succession to Damon's stakes before they fully realized what was going on.

Caroline was still standing at the door, half-shocked half-marveled at the efficiency and synchronicity with which Bonnie and Damon had dispatched the nearly half dozen vampires, when suddenly she sensed someone approaching her from the side, she didn't manage to actually move before the vampire took a hold of her, however, he let go almost immediately, hands burnt because of the vervain impregnated on Caroline's skin. The blonde instantly raised her spray, which she'd already in hand, and sprayed the vampire's face directly. He let out a shrill scream.

Bonnie just waited long enough for the vampire to give a couple of steps away from her friend, before she shot a bolt of lightning powerful enough to go straight through him, destroying his heart.

"That makes six." Damon pointed out unnecessarily. "All newbs…"

"Damon behind you!" Caroline cried out right then.

The vampire, one from the tomb, had been hiding behind a nearby door, and no one had noticed his presence, until his killing intent had gotten high enough for Caroline to perceive it, even in her high-strung state.

"So the witch is here." The vampire commented as he stepped out of his hiding spot, having lost the opportunity for surprise. "And a Salvatore is with her." He looked Caroline up and down and ignored her, not considering her important. "Guess Frederick will be able to kill the brat now, since we won't need her anymore."

"Go." Damon said shortly, before preparing himself to fight the one before him.

Nothing more needed to be said, in an instant Bonnie had shot down the hallway, tracking Mia down through her presence.

Meanwhile, Damon and the other vampire began a fight that seemed like a mix of a brawl and what you would expect a wild-animal fight to be like, they were mostly punching and kicking each other, but at times they would make moves as if their hands were claws, or try to bite the other. It was at the same time mesmerizing and horrifying as far as Caroline was concerned.

Things got particularly bad when the other vampire did a feint and caught Damon off-guard, tackling him to the ground.

"Do you really think Pearl is the only vampire older than you?" The vampire sneered. "Please, I'm nearly three centuries old…"

That explained why he was considerably stronger than Damon, then, right as he made a move to tear the Salvatore's throat with his own teeth, he screamed.

Damon took the chance and took hold of a broken leg of a nearby table, using it to stake the vampire. It wasn't until he'd pushed the corpse off him that he realized what had happened, he was laying on sunlight, which had burnt the other vampire as he didn't have a lapis-lazuli stone like the one on his ring; and the sunlight had gotten in through the sole open window, one Caroline had opened.

"Thank you." Damon nodded in her direction.

The blonde nodded shortly. She still didn't like, or even understand Damon's actions with regards to Mrs. Gibbons, but she wasn't going to just let him be killed either if she could do something about it; she considered the vampire her friend, crazy as that might be, and she didn't even want to think about how hurt Bonnie would be if she were to lose him, a small voice in the back of her head told the Sensitive the witch just might not survive that.

As soon as he was sure there were no other vampires near Damon rushed after his spouse; he found her with a flame in hand, staring at another vampire, who was standing behind the chair Mia was tied to, holding a nail to her neck, ready to slit her throat open at the slightest provocation. The poor girl was sobbing almost hysterically, half calling her cousin's name over and over again, looking nothing like the 'business woman' she'd first appeared as to him almost two weeks before.

Instantly Damon gave a step back, before Frederick could notice him, knowing that he would be more useful if others didn't know he was there.

*I'm here cara…* He whispered directly into his beloved's mind.

*Oh Damon…* Bonnie's voice sounded deeply relieved, even as she made sure that her magic wouldn't falter, giving her away. *What am I gonna do? He has Mia.*

*Can you get your cousin from his arms?* Damon inquired. *With wind, a spell, or…*

*Yes, I think so.* Bonnie nodded mentally.

*Well, you do that.* Damon told her. *Leave Frederick to me.*

All he had was a piece of wood, which wasn't even in the right shape to serve as a stake, but still, the midnight-eyed vampire decided it would have to do, he wouldn't let his spouse down, not when she needed him.

"Now!" Bonnie cried out loud.

In that moment, with one hand she made the flame in her hand grow till it was almost out of control, enough to scare Frederick if only for an instant, enough for him to raise his hands to cover his face. Bonnie took the chance and used the wind to pull Mia to her, chair and all. And at the same time Damon leapt straight at Frederick, using the piece of wood to cut him up on one arm and on the side.

"Damned Salvatore!" Frederick growled, lashing around and managing to slash Damon in the side with his own nails.

Ignoring his own wounds Damon reached for the closest weapon, it looked like a machete, probably to cut the tall grass all around the property; he used it to decapitate Frederick.

Mia let out a half-drowned scream at seeing this, closing her eyes tightly even as she felt her ropes falling one by one.

"Are you alright Mia?" Bonnie asked worriedly.

Mia nodded silently, turning to look at her cousin, wondering how exactly the slightly older girl had managed to cut her bonds when she wasn't holding a knife or anything capable of cutting… though since she didn't know how she had gone from one side of the room to the other with no one touching her…

A groan informed both Bonnie and Damon of the presence of yet another vampire, and Damon immediately moved to kill him as well.

"No!" Mia's sudden cry stopped him in his tracks. "Don't kill him please! He's not like the others. He helped me. He didn't let the others hurt me!"

Still doubtful, Damon waited for his beloved's nod before putting down the weapon, allowing the black vampire to get on his feet with some effort. It took a few seconds, but the Salvatore managed to recognize him as Harper, Pearl's servant, he just hoped his mercy wouldn't end up working against him, against them all.

"They're here!" Caroline called suddenly.

She didn't need to specify who was there. Instantly Damon was holding each cousin with one arm and dashing back to the living room, which they reached at the same time as Pearl stepped through the broken front door, a mix of confusion and anger in her eyes; behind her stood Annabelle, watching the mess in silence.

Before any of them could say anything they all heard the screeching of tires as another car arrived; a handful of seconds later Stefan jumped over the small fence surrounding the house's porch, followed closely by Elena, who had her hair down and both chopsticks in her hands.

Pearl knew immediately than even though she was far older and more powerful than the two vampires in the room put together, the witch was a risk, and the two human girls were wild-cards, particularly the one who looked so much like her old friend…

"What happened here?!" Pearl demanded. "I thought you wouldn't want war…Salvatore."

"Your minions brought war to me." Damon informed her coldly. "They dared go against one who is as good as family, my mate's cousin."

Pearl's eyes narrowed, she'd known that the older Salvatore and the Bennett witch were close, but she had never imagined they were that close. Things had certainly changed. She wondered how Katherine would react if she were to learn about everything… in any case, she still didn't understand what had happened.

"What are you talking about Damon?" She demanded.

"It was Frederick, Miss Pearl." Harper informed her as he finally entered the living room. "He went against your orders, he and two newbs abducted the girl." He signaled to the still shaking Mia. "She's the witch's cousin, Frederick wanted to use her as bait to lure the Bennett witch."

"And apparently he ended up luring more than that." Pearl commented stiffly, watching Bonnie, Damon, and even Caroline.

It was taking all her effort, for Caroline not to shake as she held her spray in one hand and a broken piece of wood in the other; she doubted she would be strong enough to drive a stake through a vampire, but she wasn't about to show any weakness, not when it was the second time she'd had to stand against the same two vampires…

"I thought I had made myself clear before, you go after someone I care about and I'll end you." Bonnie declared coldly, as she allowed her magical aura to flare enough for it to be seen. "I'll make it even clearer this time. Damon is my mate, Mia my cousin, Elena and Caroline are as good as my sisters, while Mystic Falls is my home; anyone who dares attack this town, I'll go after, anyone who dares hurt a member of my family, by blood or bond, I will annihilate."

Pearl said nothing, while most of the time she wouldn't have cared about threats, or warnings at all, the witch's aura told her more than even her own words, that girl was more powerful than Emily had ever been, more powerful than any witch Pearl had ever met, she was not someone Pearl wanted to trifle with. There was no choice, she would have to let them all go, and find a different way to get back at them…without it being obvious that she had been responsible preferably…

Still in silence Pearl stepped aside, allowing them to leave. All the while Annabelle could only watch in silence, her gaze lingering on Elena, remembering Jeremy, and wondering when exactly things had gotten so much out of control…

.-.

One hour later Bonnie, Damon and Mia were sitting in the Bennett's living room. The couple had just finished explaining everything to the other girl, from the disastrous events on 1864, through Bonnie's childhood, and ending with what had happened in December, what she had done at the tomb, which was the reason why those vampires wanted revenge on her.

Mia was shocked, and the other two thought that, either the whole thing hadn't fully dawned on her yet, or she was just too shocked too react in that moment. Still, once the explanations were over and she had finished some calming tea she announced she would be going to sleep.

"Hey, I know." She commented out of the blue. "Why don't you take this chance and spend the weekend together at your house Damon?"

That truly surprised them both.

"Mia…" Bonnie began, unsure.

"I'll be alright." Mia assured her. "If I need anything, I have Elena's cell, and your own. And you should take this chance, since uncle Sam is away for the weekend and all."

Bonnie didn't fully like the idea of leaving her cousin, especially after what had happened, but her need for Damon was so great that she agreed.

"If you need anything, call me." Bonnie insisted.

"I will." Mia assured her with a smile. "Have a nice weekend."

"Oh…we most defiantly will." Damon declared impishly, as he pulled his beloved out.

At the porch he stopped to pull her flush against him and kissed her with such intensity she nearly lit everything on fire around them.

A second later he'd scooped his spouse on his arms and Bonnie's giggles could be heard all around as he carried her to his car, before rushing to the driver's seat and driving away.

Meanwhile, no one noticed the shadowed eyes watching them nearby…

 _And I still believe in the good_

 _And I still believe in the light_

 _And I wanna feel the sun_

 _I wanna free you tonight_

* * *

So, that's that for now. I think the new characters are coming along rather nicely. Hope you like them to. Next chapter is one of my favorites, and part of what made me come back actually (not the chapter already, that one was already written before I went and disappeared from this fandom, but a particular scene... anyway, you'll see in a couple of weeks).

Please don't forget to review and see you around!

P.S. If you're waiting for the next part of Nightingale, I promise it's coming. I had some trouble with the inspiration (Civil War took it away rather than helping me, to be honest), and now I'm off on vacation, but I promise to begin posting as soon as I get back. Thank you!


	8. Rumors

Next chapter's here! Hope you'll enjoy it. I don't have much to say this week, except. This is the chapter that I remembered the most during the six-year-long break I took from this fandom, the song is also the one that brought me back a few months ago. I know there'll be more than a few who probably won't be fans of Lindsay Lohan, but I really recommend her song Rumors for a very specific scene in this fic (near the end, you'll see it when it comes), if anything the rhythm of the music will help you get into the mood.

I would warn for nudity and sensuality... but these are Bonnie and Damon, so we all know already what to expect from them, I think...

Hope you'll like this!

* * *

 **Chapter 7. Rumors**

Bonnie Bennett-Salvatore (even if only a selected few knew the last part) woke up very slowly, unlike usual; then, when she tried to stretch she realize it wasn't possible, as her body was pretty much 'trapped' against another, her head on the hollow of a collarbone. As consciousness returned to her the young witch became aware of the touch of the Egyptian cotton sheets against most of her body, except the parts in touch with another body, which at the same time made evident the fact that she didn't have a stitch of clothing on. With some effort, she made a move to get up, only to have the arms on her back and around her waist tighten, refusing to let her move.

"Go back to sleep Little Witch…" A silky, sensual voice muttered against her hair.

She almost did exactly that, his voice was so persuasive… even with no actual compulsion involved… and she just felt so comfortable where she was. And then she remembered why she couldn't do that…

"Can't…" She muttered with a sigh. "It's Monday, I have school, remember?"

"Skip it." Her spouse said simply.

"You know I cannot do that!" She giggled. "Come on my Dark Angel… you've had me all to yourself for the whole weekend, what more do you want?"

"To have you all to myself for the rest of eternity." He answered simply.

She smiled, he was so caring, so loving, even if he rarely showed it in public, and mostly only when those he truly trusted were the ones around.

"Just what time is it?" She asked in a low tone.

She really didn't want to get up, and she hadn't heard her alarm yet… but there was light already, so it most definitely wasn't too early…

"Ten minutes since that cursed alarm sounded." Damon muttered. "It is my regretful duty to inform you you'll be needing a new clock."

Meaning he had thrown it against something, or simply smashed it with his hand…her beloved might be a lot of things, like sexy, caring, and drop dead gorgeous…but a morning person was certainly not one of his qualities; at least she usually programmed her alarm to sound ten or fifteen minutes before she actually had to get up…

After a minute or two more just cuddling, Bonnie decided she really had to get up. Which Damon allowed with no little reluctance. Which only got worse when Bonnie unashamedly got on her feet and began walking around the bed totally naked.

"Little Witch…" Damon half-growled half-groaned.

For all answer she looked over her shoulder to wink at him before bending down to pick up a piece of clothing; when she straightened up again she realized her beloved was standing right behind her, his body as naked as her and completely flushed against her back…

"D…Dark Angel…" She half-gasped half-moaned.

"You have no idea what you do to me, cara…" Damon whispered sensually in her ear.

Before she could answer he spun her around and claimed her mouth in a very intense kiss.

"Love… I'm gonna be late…" She muttered as he began kissing down her neck.

She knew it was useless, there was no stopping the sensual vampire when he got like that; and she was already on the edge… so she simply let go.

 **.-.**

The young witch was most definitely late, something her two best friends couldn't seem to stop giggling about; but what was really unnerving the hazel-eyed girl was that they weren't the only ones whispering about her. She had no idea what was being said, but knew it involved her, throughout the morning, more than once she heard her name spoken in the low hurried tones that signaled a gossip was being passed around, but what was everyone gossiping about? She had a feeling it couldn't be anything good.

Bonnie didn't learn anything about what was going on until after the last bell had sounded; she walked through a hallway only to hear the whispers from people all around her, her name being repeated again and again, along with other words she couldn't quite make out but knew weren't very nice. Her patience about to run out, she was suddenly pulled by her arm into an empty classroom.

"Wha…" She was about to scream until she saw who was there. "Caroline?"

It was really Caroline, and Elena, though the brunette seemed to be very focused on someone on the phone in the moment.

"I'll drive her…" She was saying. "Trust me, you don't wanna come here right now… I'll let her explain everything to you… no, it's nothing bad, I promise… she's fine, she'll be fine… see you later big brother."

Bonnie's eyes narrowed, there was one sole person Elena called that, and even then she only did it sporadically. She had been talking to Damon and Bonnie wanted to know why.

"What the hell is going on?" She demanded.

"I suppose you've heard the people gossiping all around." Caroline decided to go straight to the point. "About you…"

"I've heard, though I haven't managed to make out what exactly is being said." Bonnie admitted with a sigh. "Caro…"

"This gossip, it's not just about you…" Elena began, apparently at a loss on how to explain.

"Someone saw you, on Friday night, outside your house." Caroline took over. "You and Damon…I have no idea what you did, or what whoever it was that began this saw, but somehow the whole school now knows about you and Damon being together…and the adjectives being used aren't very flattering…"

Bonnie made an effort to remember Friday night, Elena and Stefan had left together, the blue-eyed was worried about her brother after seeing Anna and Stefan drove her. Caroline had been driven to her home as well before the other three made their way to the Bennett house, they'd explained things to Mia, and at the end the girl had insisted that Bonnie and Damon should take off for the weekend, take advantage of the fact that the girl's father was out of town, Mia even promised to cover for her if necessary. They had walked out the porch, happy, smiling and laughing and kissing… they'd gotten to the car and left… What exactly had they done, what had Bonnie's nosy neighbors seen to cause the kind of gossip going all around?

"So, they saw me laughing… kissing Damon… maybe even when he carried me briefly… and suddenly the whole school is whispering like we're again nine and they're immature brats chanting 'witch, witch, she's a witch'?" Bonnie asked sarcastically.

"It's more than that." Elena said in a low voice. "It's not exactly what you were doing, what whoever it was that actually was there saw, but how everyone sees that."

Bonnie looked at her blankly.

"They saw a high-school girl, with one the most… if not the most eligible bachelor in Mystic Falls." Caroline clarified. "As far as the gossip goes, either Damon is a cradle-robber, or he's a poor man who was seduced by a young gold-digger and… and…"

"A slut." Bonnie finished for her. "That's what I am, according to that gossip."

"Something along those lines." Elena admitted. "While there are some people that believe you to be the innocent one in the whole thing… most do think it's your fault."

"But he's not innocent here… neither of us… really?" Bonnie babbled.

"Well, lets be honest here." Caroline added. "Most of those rumors are being circulated by stupid hormonal girls who believe they have more than a snowball's chance in hell at snagging someone like Damon… so obviously they're gossiping out of spite, and envy…"

Elena nodded empathically, at one point Caroline herself had begun the same kind of spiteful gossip regarding her, back when they were fighting about Stefan, right before Damon made his first appearance in Mystic Falls… at least in the last few years or so…

"Still, that doesn't change the fact that there's gossip going around and…" Bonnie paled unexpectedly. "And my father still doesn't know about me and Damon!"

"Well, then you better tell him." Elena said. "Before someone else does."

She knew she was lucky both Jenna and Jeremy liked Stefan, it made her hopeful that her parents would have liked him too; she knew her uncle John most likely wouldn't, especially if he knew as much about vampires as they feared he did, but it's not like she was going to let that bother her, or at least not yet.

 **.-.**

Bonnie didn't actually manage to get to her father before the gossip had reached him. When she stepped through the door to her house she found Mia sitting on a couch, watching her uncle quietly, before turning to look at Bonnie with an expression that said it all.

"You, young lady, have a lot to explain." Samuel Bennett declared, the moment his eyes laid on his daughter.

Bonnie let out a sigh, if she'd known the day was going to go like that she probably would have been even more hesitant when finally getting out of bed that morning.

"Old Mrs. Andrews approached me when I arrived, an hour ago." Samuel declared seriously. "Said she heard from our common neighbor Miss Lucas, that you had left this house on Friday night, with a man, after making out with him on the porch. While Miss Lucas seems to be more interested in the fact that you seemed to have the man s…'enchanted', Mrs. Andrews seemed to be worried that said man may be using you." His eyes narrowed. "What exactly is going on Bonnie? Who is this man? Where did you go Friday night and why did you even go anywhere with him?"

Bonnie let out what sounded like a mix of a tired sigh and a half-hysterical laugh. Trust those two particular neighbors of hers to be the cause of all the trouble. Mrs. Andrews was an old lady, older than Grams, who seemed to treat every girl in the neighborhood like a granddaughter, probably because she had none, so it wasn't really her fault to be worried about Bonnie. Miss Lucas on the other hand, she was at least as old as Grams, and yet insisted on being called 'Miss'; she was willing to tell, whoever she managed to trick into listening, that she had never married, too busy she'd been raising her younger siblings (and the fact that none of those siblings lived anywhere close told enough about that), and then she'd been too old to do so; she seemed to derive a particular pleasure of gossiping about everything and everyone she could, and the dirtier the gossip, the better, for her.

Bonnie took a deep breath and opened her mouth to answer her father's inquiry/interrogation, when suddenly there was a knock on the door.

Mia moved to open the door but Samuel was faster, and while we went to open the door Mia took the chance to approach her cousin.

"I'm soooo sorry cous…" She whispered to Bonnie. "Uncle Sam just entered the house an hour ago, all red, and began ranting about where you were, where you had been all weekend, and I tried to convince him we had been hanging out (since technically I did hang out with Elena, Stefan and Caroline)… but he was just so tense, I don't think he actually heard what I said to him at all…"

"It's alright Mia, it's not your fault." Bonnie assured her.

"When I told you to leave with him, I really wanted you to have a good time." Mia insisted. "I never thought this would happen…"

"I know cousin, it's alright, don't worry." Bonnie tried to convince her, and herself. "Everything will be alright."

And then, the front door was opened, and she froze in shock at the presence that reached to her. What was Damon doing at the house? And precisely in that moment?!

"Good afternoon Mr. Bennett." Damon's voice could be heard as he greeted the man politely.

"Good afternoon Mr. Salvatore." Samuel greeted him in turn.

"Call me Damon, please." Damon declared.

"Very well, Damon." Samuel nodded. "I imagine you're here to see Bonnie or something; but I'm afraid that's not going to be possible right now. My daughter and I need to have a serious talk; but I'll tell her you called."

"I'm afraid that won't be possible." Damon said solemnly.

The two girls could almost imagine Samuel trying to close the door again and Damon stopping him, that wasn't going to go over well…

"Da…Mr. Salvatore." Samuel's tone was very stern. "I told you we are all busy right now, there's a serious talk that needs to take place and…"

"That's exactly why I'm here, Mr. Bennett." Damon interrupted him.

A few seconds later Damon entered the living room, followed by Samuel, who still didn't seem to fully understand what was going on, until Damon went to stand beside his daughter, an arm protectively around her shoulders.

Samuel stiffened instantly, as his mind processed the scene, it was something that at least an instinct deep inside him had suspected for a while already, but the conscious part of his mind hadn't accepted until that moment. He suddenly had no need to ask who the man his daughter had left with on Friday night was.

Samuel directed a very hard look at his daughter, waiting for her to explain what was going on, and why exactly he hadn't been informed of anything.

"Damon…" Bonnie was so distressed at her father's attitude that she didn't even think about asking the question through her mind. "What are you doing here? I mean…how did you…?"

"It's ok cara…" Damon smiled slightly at her, knowing better than to try and kiss her. "Elena told me about the malicious gossip that had been circulating around. Stefan didn't quite agree when I decided to come, but I wasn't about to let you face this alone…"

For all answer Bonnie wound her hands in Damon's black leather jacket and buried her face in his equally black raw-silk shirt, briefly forgetting about her father and the mess her noisy neighbors had caused.

"I want to know what's going on, and I want to know now." Samuel demanded sternly.

Instantly Bonnie turned so she was standing right beside Damon, their hands on the small of each other's back, as a silent support.

Samuel had been hoping to make her daughter cower and fess up, instead, his voice caused her to stand up straighter, almost defiant; she might not have been very tall, especially when compared to the two men in the room, but there was an aura of power that was almost palpable in her, height or not.

"Damon and I are together." She stated directly, with no shame or embarrassment.

Samuel nodded, he had suspected as much.

"And exactly how long has this been going on?" He asked, arms crossed across his chest. "And why wasn't I told anything before?"

"Since the end of last year." Bonnie answered, evading the second question as she spun a story right then and there. "After Grams fell into a comma in November I was… a little lost. Elena and Caroline were busy with their own relationships, and almost accidentally I ended up running into Damon. So I ended up talking to him… We began meeting every so often. Mostly he would just listen, make small talk when I needed something to distract me. We didn't begin to truly date until right after the Winter Dance, I left early since I didn't have a date, and I wasn't really feeling up to it."

"So you're dating an older man, under my nose, without telling me." Samuel declared with steel in his voice.

"Damon is twenty-one dad." Bonnie lied masterfully. "He took a sabbatical from college so he could come and help his uncle Zack and Stefan, his younger brother."

"Zack Salvatore?" Samuel knew that name, a good man.

"Yes." Damon followed his beloved's story smoothly. "Zack had been looking after the family house and businesses for years, ever since Stefan's and my parents died years ago. Then Stefan decided to come finish High-School here, and I decided Zack deserved a break, so I came back home for a while. Zack himself left shortly after I was fully installed, decided to take some time for himself."

"I had never heard of any Salvatores other than Zack before you arrived." Samuel said, half-suspiciously at Damon.

"My brother and I left Mystic Falls, left the United States, many years ago, to be honest." Damon said solemnly. "After our parents died we didn't really want to stay here. I was very surprised when Stefan decided to come back, actually, but in the end decided to do the same."

"I see…" Samuel still didn't seem to like it, but didn't know what else to say either.

"Dad, Grams knows Damon, she approves of him." Bonnie tried to earn some points, didn't realize the mistake she was making until it was already too late. "And you know how hard it is for her to approve of anybody…"

"So Sheila knows about your boyfriend and I don't." Samuel almost hissed. "How is that possible? How can I trust my daughter, her decisions, when she cannot even tell me when she's dating someone? When the whole neighborhood, probably even the whole town, learns about it before I do?"

Bonnie's aura flared briefly but strongly, her father had made a mistake challenging her like that, a huge mistake…

"How can you expect to know anything about my life when you're hardly ever here?!" She called in a strong, powerful voice.

"Bonnie…" Samuel began.

"Don't Bonnie me, father." The hazel-eyed girl interrupted, on a roll by then. "You say I should have told you I was dating Damon, that you deserved to know… since when? Since when do you even care about anything I do? The truth is you don't, you haven't since Mama died, so I find it a bit hypocritical that suddenly you come and say that. I'm sure that the only reason you're even bothering with the whole thing is because of the spirits-damned gossip!"

"Bonnie Bennet…" Samuel began in an angry voice.

Even Damon was trying to calm his beloved, but she had just snapped; for too long she'd had to watch her father distance himself further and further away from her and just hold back her feelings, her pain, her tears… not anymore.

"It's been seven years since Mama died… did you know that?" Bonnie asked suddenly. "It's also been seven years since we went anywhere, anywhere at all: on a vacation, to dinner, or even just to spend some time together. As far as I'm concerned I might as well have lost both of you that day! Or maybe it's you who might as well have lost me as well. I don't know. It's been years since I got used to simply not having any parents… but you know what? I still hoped, I still dreamed and wished for the day when my father would finally move past his own grief, in no way less than my own, when he would finally remember he has a daughter. But that day never came. I actually don't know what I would do if I didn't have Grams! Or Elena, and Caroline and Jenna… I probably would have gone crazy already…"

Samuel didn't know what to say anymore, even Damon and Mia could only watch the exchange in silence, wishing to help in some way, and not knowing how.

"I can't complain about my life, I know other people have it worse." Bonnie continued. "Elena and Caro themselves… and at least I get to see you sometimes, even if it's just when you decided to come for a few days, or even less… Do you remember the last time we actually sat to dinner together? Because I do, it was a week after my eighteenth birthday, when you actually stayed home for almost a whole week… but it happened until then because you weren't here for my actual birthday, you were in Morocco, or Spain, or somewhere else, you didn't even think of calling me to wish me a happy birthday until two days later. Do you even remember I exist most of the time?"

"Bonnie… child…" Samuel began again.

"I'm not a child father, not anymore." Bonnie interrupted him, her tone suddenly very tired. "I grew up. You might not have noticed, considering how little you see me, or I you." She sighed. "I know… I know it hurt you, loosing Mama, but it hurt me too. How am I supposed to help you through that grief if you won't let me? Hey! At least I had someone, but you…? I wonder if you let anyone help you, then or since." She shook her head. "Right now you're angry because you didn't know I was dating Damon, and the only reason you even knew I was dating someone is because a neighbor told you! I wonder if you would have noticed anything otherwise. And what about any other boyfriends I may have had? Or even just boys who took me on dates? I used to be pretty popular, you know? Comes with being a cheerleader, I guess. You never cared for those. For boys, or friends I may have had that you may not know. You have missed seven years of my life, and it took you a neighbor seeing me leaving for a weekend with my boyfriend for you to notice anything!"

Damon wound both arms around his beloved's middle, knowing she was going to collapse at any moment, her emotional exhaustion was that bad. And it did happen, she was still doing her best to hold back her sobs and tears when she simply blacked out, too tired to stay awake.

In a smooth move Damon scooped Bonnie in his arms and took her to her bedroom, where he tucked her in and kissed her forehead, knowing he couldn't do more since Samuel had followed him there.

"I'm a bad father…" He muttered when Damon turned back to him. "She's right, it's been so long… I don't know her."

"It's not too late yet." Damon pointed out.

"It might be." Samuel replied morosely.

"But it's not." Damon sighed, he wasn't one for playing therapist, but he wanted to help his spouse. "Look, I know Bonnie is eighteen already, she's legal and all, she could have chosen to move out the day after her birthday. But she didn't, she's still here, still in your house, and that's because a part of her is still trying. You're her father, and she still wants that, even if a part of her fears, like you, that it might be too late already, she still wants that."

"Would you want it?" Samuel couldn't help but ask.

"My father and I… we never saw eye to eye." Damon admitted with a sigh. "But my mother… I loved her more than anything… she was my world. And then she was gone, she died. Doesn't mean I love her any less, even now. What I mean is, even today, if I had the opportunity to get my mother back, I would take it, with no hesitation. I cannot get my mother back, neither can Bonnie get hers… but she can still have you… it's all up to you I guess."

With that the vampire stepped across the bedroom door, knowing that it was best if he left his beloved with her father for the time being. It had gone against his nature to be so honest, so emotional, especially with someone he didn't even like! But he would do anything for his Little Witch to be happy, anything at all.

"Damon… thank you." Samuel called from over his shoulder.

"It's nothing." Damon said simply, then thought it better and added. "I love Bonnie, she is my world now. I will do anything I can to see her happy, and make anyone who hurts her pay. I know you're her father, but I only care about her…"

Samuel took the warning for what it was, and while even an hour before he would have been angry at it, in that moment he couldn't help but think that his daughter was fortunate, having someone who loved her that much… as much as he'd once loved his Leah. For too long he'd mourned the woman he'd married, so much that he'd even forgotten he wasn't alone, not really, he just hoped it wasn't yet too late, that he might still have a chance to get back his Bonnie, his darling daughter… at least for a short time.

"Why don't you come for dinner next Friday?" Samuel proposed out-of-the-blue. "After all, I need to get to know my daughter's boyfriend."

Damon was thoroughly shocked by the invitation but nodded; maybe things would be better for his Little Witch… she deserved her father back, after all the grief of the last seven years. And maybe, just maybe, one day they would be able to tell Samuel the truth about the two of them, about their true identities and relationships… someday…

.-.

Things didn't suddenly become perfect. Bonnie and her father didn't suddenly become very close, and trusting and loving; but they were trying. Samuel didn't leave again for a trip for the whole week, and he made a point of having breakfast, and sometimes dinner too, with his daughter and niece. Things didn't become perfect, but they were getting better… except for that gossip, that just didn't stop!

That Friday things were a bit awkward during dinner, Damon had arrived with a bottle of wine and insisted that everyone, even Bonnie and Mia, had at least a sip with their food, which the girls had cooked. Samuel had even invited Sheila, hoping that since she trusted Damon, it would make things easier. They weren't easier, but at least with all the women in the table, there was enough talk, and he got the chance to learn more about the daughter she had practically abandoned after his wife's death. He also got the chance to learn a little about Damon, and realize that, even if he was older than Bonnie, even if he seemed so different from her, he truly loved her… and after that nothing else really mattered.

After dinner Sheila suggested that the teenagers go to the Mystic Grill for a night out and Samuel gave his permission, thinking it was a good idea, especially after Damon promised to drive them back at a decent hour.

 **.-.**

An hour later Bonnie was seriously reconsidering the idea of having gone to the Mystic Grill. The whispers and gossip hadn't stopped since she and Damon had entered the place hand in hand (they had decided that there was no reason not to be seen together if people already knew about them).

Mia, Elena and Caroline could only watch their friend as all the different whispers reached them, none of them portraying her in a good light. Until, eventually, the witch snapped. Not magically, she had more control than that, but she decided it was time to put a stop to the madness, and if the noisy inhabitants of Mystic Falls couldn't bring themselves to shut up and just accept she and Damon were together and happy, then she would make them…and in a most creative way too.

It was karaoke night, something she took great advantage of. After touching up her make-up in the bathroom she took off the leggings she was wearing under the very short black dress, leaving her in just that, heels and her lapis-pendant. Then she went straight for the DJ to request a song.

The girls were still wondering what Bonnie might be doing when suddenly the music started, and a second later Mia's mouth dropped open, quickly followed by Stefan's and Matt's, as they watched the person who had just stepped on stage and begun dancing slowly, almost provocatively even before the cue for singing came:

"Saturday, stepping into the club / The music makes me wanna tell the DJ, tune it up / I feel the energy all around / And my body can't stop moving to the sound"

Damon could only follow his beloved's moves, wondering what exactly she was planning; while Caroline and Elena laughed, the whole thing was just so Bonnie, and the song fit perfectly with her current situation.

It was until the second stanza, as Bonnie's expression turned serious and she began singing straight at a bunch of girls in the middle of the Grill, the ones to begin the gossip the moment the couple had stepped in, that the whole thing became very clear:

"But I can tell that you're watching me / And you're probably gonna write what you didn't see / Well, I just need a little space to breathe / Can you please respect my privacy?"

Elena and Stefan smiled to themselves, maybe that song would finally shut everyone up.

"Why can't you just let me do / The things I wanna do? / I just wanna be me / I don't understand / Why would you wanna bring me down? / I'm only having fun / I'm gonna live my life (but not the way you want me to)"

The moment the chorus came up Bonnie began moving her hips sharply and dancing once again, her eyes straight on her beloved, a simple dance that turned very sultry with the clothes she was wearing; and Damon's eyes just followed her every move.

"I'm tired of rumors starting /I'm sick of being followed / I'm tired of people lying / Saying what they want about me / Why can't they back up off me / Why can't they let me live / I'm gonna do it my way / Take this for just what it is."

By that point most of those present had realized the kind of message Bonnie was sending, and they could only watch her, her friends, and the gossipers in turn, waiting for what would happen next, because they all knew something would.

"Here we are, back up in the club / People taking pictures / Don't you think they get enough? / I just wanna be all over the floor / And throw my hands up in the air to a beat like (what) / I've gotta say respectfully / I would love it if you would take the cameras off of me / Cause I just want a little room to breathe / Can you please respect my privacy?"

At that point The gossipers were practically as low in their seats as they possibly could, when they'd begun their ill-intentioned whispers they'd never expected for those affected to answer, and particularly not as publicly as Bonnie was doing it in that moment. The hazel-eyed witch wasn't about to allow them to just get away with it, instead she stood at the corner of the small stage, and staring straight at them sang the next stanza:

"Why can't you just let me do / The things I wanna do? / I just wanna be me / I don't understand why / Would you wanna bring me down? / I'm only having fun / I'm gonna live my life (but not the way you want me to)."

She then jumped off the stage, taking advantage of the fact that the mike was cordless and walking right by the gossipers went to her friends, to stand right in front of Damon, and began dancing and singing for him, in front of everybody.

"I'm tired of rumors starting / I'm sick of being followed / I'm tired of people lying / Saying what they want about me / Why can't they back up off me? / Why can't they let me live? / I'm gonna do it my way / Take this for just what it is."

The witch turned his back on him and did some very sensual moves, ignoring the fact that so many eyes were on her, and thinking just about her beloved.

"I just need to free my mind (my mind) / Just wanna dance and have a good time (good time)"

With a wink she went to sit on his lap before continuing.

"I'm tired of rumors (rumors) / Followed (followed, followed, followed, followed, followed) / What they want of me / Why can't they (they, they, they, they, they) let me live? / Take this for just what it is."

She jumped off her beloved's lap before spinning around in place once and beginning to move back to the stage as she went on.

"I'm tired of rumors starting /I'm sick of being followed / I'm tired of people lying / Saying what they want about me / Why can't they back up off me? / Why can't they let me live? (live) / I'm gonna do it my way / Take this for just what it is."

Damon had followed after her and held her by the hips to get her back on the small stage right as she sang the last verse of the chorus. Right in time for her to spin once sharply before repeating the whole chorus and finishing the song:

"I'm tired of rumors starting /I'm sick of being followed / I'm tired of people lying / Saying what they want about me / Why can't they back up off me? / Why can't they let me live? (live) / I'm gonna do it my way / Take this for just what it is."

The cheers that rose from all the Grill were staggering. Bonnie flashed a smile at them before returning the mike to its place and jumping off the stage, straight into Damon's arms who, ignoring everyone around kissed her passionately.

"You have to dance like that again… and only for me…" He whispered suggestively on her ear in a hoarse voice.

"Maybe…" She grinned wickedly at him before lowering herself to the ground, making sure to grind herself against his front all the while. "Someday…"

Damon was still trying to process the provocation when Bonnie was already walking in the direction of the Grill's main door, winking over her shoulder.

The others only stopped long enough to make sure everything was paid before taking their jackets and following Bonnie and Damon out.

"Well, that's some way to quiet the rumors…" Mia commented, still quite shocked at what she'd just witnessed her cousin do.

"Or setting them off all over again!" Elena and Caroline stated in unison with a laugh.

And it was the truth, even as they all left the Mystic Grill, those they left behind began the gossiping all over again.

 _And I still believe in the good_

 _And I still believe in the light_

 _And I wanna feel the sun_

 _I wanna free you tonight_


	9. Blue Valentine

So... Valentine's Day! I know we're completely out of season, nothing I can do about it. I enjoyed writing most of this fic. So much romance! Also, the dresses the girls wear can be found on the web (sadly, as I found them six years ago or so I don't remember where I saw them... oops... but I'm sure the description would help, if you want to actually see what they look like... your imagination might also be good enough you don't need that).

The whole thing with the black magic roses was actually inspired by a particular scene in "Vampire Diaries: The Return - Nightfall"... if you know which one I speak of, kudos to you! Also... does anyone know where I can find a fic called "White Rose"? It's based on the Vampire Diaries books, Bamon, and I loved it years ago! But now I cannot find it to read it again! (And I seem to have lost the copy I used to have on my computer... probably lost it when my last laptop broke). Anyway, I'd be really grateful if anyone could point me in the direction of it.

Now, I've mentioned this before, but is anyone interested in me listing (or even sharing) piece by piece the fanmix I made for this fic (and for its prequel)? They exist, and I like listening to them when I'm re-reading, editing, and of course writing these stories.

P.S. While I know some might want to kill me for a certain scene near the end of the chapter... I remind you that if I die you won't know how it ends! Also, I promise you, things will be solved! I love the pairings too much to leave them in angst forever.

* * *

 **Chapter 8. Blue Valentine**

That particular Monday Damon was about to leave the Salvatore House when he was met with a recently arrived Stefan, whom he hadn't seen the whole weekend.

"Hello brother…" Damon called.

"Hello Damon, good bye Damon…" Stefan called as he began moving up the stairs.

The older brother was about to step out of the house when it seemed like the younger thought of something and backtracked, just enough to talk from the middle of the stairs.

"Where exactly are you going this early?" Stefan inquired.

It was still early, classes wouldn't begin for at least an hour.

"To deliver her first present to my Little Witch." Damon answered with great satisfaction. "I, little brother, have this day carefully planned out, unlike you apparently…"

"No brother…" Stefan shook his head. "You see, there is a reason why I was absent this weekend, a very important reason."

Damon turned his whole attention to his brother instantly, truth was, he was deeply intrigued by the whole thing, he hadn't known Stefan to disappear, to even separate from his girlfriend for longer than that one day Damon himself had unwittingly taken her along on his road-trip, about three months earlier.

"I still can't believe you left your Elena all abandoned for a whole weekend." Damon declared almost dramatically.

"I didn't 'abandon her'." Stefan rolled his eyes. "I knew perfectly well she and the other girls had planned a weekend on the spa, since, as far as I remember, it was us who arranged that for them; I just took advantage of the situation to make my trip at the same time. I wasn't about to stand around for two days pining, watching and listening to my girlfriend have some 'girl-time'… unlike some others I could mention…"

It was the truth, Damon had spent a considerable amount of time that weekend as a crow, on some branch or window, just watching Bonnie, Elena, Caroline and Mia go through all kind of massages, therapies and beauty rituals; and then there was the time they'd spent in the hot-springs wearing very skimpy bathing suits…

"What?!" Stefan spat.

For all answer Damon sent his brother the memory of all four girls in bathing suits, three of them actually wearing bikinis, as they got into the hot spring.

"Damon!" Stefan cried out, though it was impossible to know if he was thanking, cursing or just complaining to his brother.

"Well… at least they didn't choose to go skinny-dipping or something along those lines…" Damon said suggestively.

Stefan was left speechless. While Stefan had seen his girlfriend naked, he couldn't help but think that there was something very sensual about a girl, or woman in little clothing; as far as he was concerned it could be even sexier and more provocative than a woman totally in the nude… and of course, since one of said women was already his girlfriend…

"How right you are brother…" Damon agreed, picking up on his thoughts. "That's why I cannot say the weekend was a total loss."

Stefan nodded, before turning to leave, only to be the one stopped this time.

"You haven't told me yet what your trip was all about?"Damon half-commented half-inquired, he was really intrigued about the whole thing.

"You'll find out… eventually." Stefan said with a grin before walking away.

Damon rolled his eyes and shook his head before shifting into a crow and flying away.

 **.-.**

All around Robert E. Lee it was chaos, as some presents were exchanged in public, while others were placed secretly to be found, and then there were those moaning about not having the guts to give the person they were interested in a present at all.

"Well, at least lack of guts isn't a problem our guys will ever have." Bonnie declared with satisfaction as she waved around a flower she had in her hand.

It was a rose, but not a normal one, it was such a dark shade of red that it almost looked black. It was the closest the best gardeners had come to producing an actual black rose.

"Talk about yourself… or even the two of you, because I…" Caroline left the rest of the sentence hanging as she sighed.

"Love trouble?" Elena inquired.

She and Bonnie had arrived together that morning, since they and Mia had spent the night together at the Bennett home, after getting back from the Mall, following their two-day stay at the Hot-Spring's Spa Resort.

"More like lack-of-love trouble." Caroline sighed.

"Is there a problem with Matt?" Bonnie was honestly worried about her friend.

"Well, I don't know if I evaded him so much he decided to 'give me a taste of my own medicine' for a change, or he's just gotten so used to my absences that it's become natural for him to just not wait around himself…" Caroline muttered with yet another sigh.

"Caro… if we… if the… if we are somehow affecting your love-life you know you can take some time to be just with Matt." Elena informed her softly. "You know that, right?"

"Or maybe you should consider just telling him the truth." Bonnie suggested. "That way there wouldn't be any more secrets, any more trouble…"

"I… I just don't know… I don't know if Matt can handle it." Caroline said tiredly. "He wants so much to just have a happy, simple, normal life… especially after Vickie skipped town, and his mom took off again as well…" she shook her head. "I really don't know if he would be able to handle the whole 'supernatural' side of things; but mostly… I don't know if I would be able to handle it if he changed the way he looked at me after finding out…"

That was it, she had said, her worst fear wasn't actually for the 'creatures that go bump in the night', but for how her boyfriend might react to finding out such creatures existed, and how closely entwined his girlfriend's life was to everything…

"You know you can always back out." Bonnie said soothingly.

"No, I can't." Caroline shook her head vehemently. "I made a choice, months ago, I chose to accept the good with the bad. I accepted being a Sensitive, I was tired of the old me, I wanted to change, not just with my ability, but as a person… being a Sensitive now has become a part of me, there's just no way I could ever turn my back on that, or on you…"

No more words were needed, all three friends embraced.

It was when they broke the embrace that Caroline finally noticed the rose in Bonnie's hands.

"That's beautiful…" The blonde commented with a smile. "Damon?"

Bonnie nodded with a light blush.

"Really amazing." Caroline reiterated. "Though, actually, I thought Damon would be more the kind to send you dozens of red roses…"

"Well, this one is in fact more special, and more valuable than several dozens of red roses put together." Bonnie pointed out. "It's called a 'Black Magic' Rose, and it's the closest anyone, human or otherwise, has come to breeding an actual black rose (without dying it). So, really, they're very rare, and expensive."

"Rare and expensive…" Elena repeated. "That rose has Damon written all over it."

"Very true." Caroline nodded, then turned to Elena. "What about you?"

"Stefan called, right before Bonnie arrived to pick me up." Elena answered. "He got back from his trip just fine but was running a little late, hence not picking me up this morning. He said he had plans for us for this evening…just wish I knew where he went and why…"

"You mean you don't even know?" Caroline wasn't expecting that.

"Not the slightest idea." Elena admitted. "I mean, it's not like you can go very far in forty-eight hours, but still…"

"I'm amazed you let him disappear for two whole days without telling you where he was going!" Caroline said with a laugh.

"Well, I'm not exactly his keeper, am I?" Elena shrugged slightly. "Besides, he said it was a surprise for me…"

"And you just can't resist surprises." Bonnie finished for her. "We know, we know."

Elena shrugged again, it was true, she was a sucker for surprises and gifts, a surprise gift even more so; and she loved Stefan so much…she knew whatever it was he had planned would be absolutely special.

"And Damon only gave you that rose?" Caroline turned back to her other friend.

"He has plans for us for tonight, but for now this is it." Bonnie nodded. "You need to understand Caro, that vampires don't celebrate Valentine's Day, not the way we humans do. The greatest gift, the greatest symbol he, as one, could have given me, he gave to me three and a half years ago…and the greatest human gift he gave me last December…"

"I get that with human gift you're talking about the union but… I don't get the vampire gift, symbol, or whatever…" Caroline replied.

They were talking on a bench in a corner of the schoolyard, a considerable distance from where the rest of the high-schoolers were hanging, and their dramas taking place; it was all good, since they were talking about things meant to be secret.

"This…" Bonnie pulled the moon-shaped lapis-pendant from behind the collar of her blouse.

"That's, lapis-lazuli, right?" Caroline asked. "It's what's in their rings?"

"Yes." Bonnie nodded empathically. "But for Damon and Stefan, and for all vampires really, lapis-lazuli is more than just a pretty stone. It's part of what allows them to be Day-walkers. True, the stones have to actually be spelled by a witch for it to work, but lapis-lazuli is the only stone that can be spelled for this…"

"So…?" Caroline wasn't fully getting it, not yet.

"To a vampire," Bonnie elaborated. "Having lapis-lazuli means having the 'day', being able to have true lives rather than just going out during the night; it means an eternity of actually living and not just existing in the shadows; it symbolizes forever…" she caressed the pendant hanging at the hollow of her neck. "That's why, a vampire giving a piece of jewelry with a lapis-lazuli to a human is also a symbol of forever… a promise to share that eternity together. Also, it can be very convenient when the human is turned…"

"Will you be turned, at some point?" Caroline wanted to know.

"I don't know." Bonnie answered honestly. "We don't even know if it'll be necessary."

Caroline's brow furrowed, showing her incomprehension.

"Caro… I control the elements… all of the elements." Bonnie explained very seriously. "The same elements that give life… And I have so much magic inside me that if it weren't for the regular blood-exchanges with Damon I would burst. Witches are different from normal humans, while it's true our bodies need to be healthy for us to live, our magic and our life-force are deeply entwined. It's what nearly killed Grams last November, because she used so much magic in a spell she drained herself almost completely, enough that her body began failing. Until I summoned the elements to support her body until she recovered…" she took a deep breath before dropping the bomb. "If I can command the elements to do that for someone else, what do you think I can have them do for my own body… and having at my disposition what seems like a never-ending supply of magic…"

"You may already be immortal…" Caroline finished for her.

Bonnie just nodded grimly. It was something both her and Damon knew, and her Grams at least suspected; and yet they hadn't talked it with anyone. If the young witch was honest with herself, the whole thing scared her, deeply, having to go through time as an immortal, she didn't think she would be able to handle even the idea if she didn't have Damon.

"Well, at least you won't be alone." Caroline declared half-happy half-resigned. "You'll have Damon, Stefan… and Elena!"

At that Elena's head shot up, she'd been silent for a long time, ever since Bonnie had begun explaining about the lapis-lazuli… and then to hear Caroline saying that.

The ebony-haired girl had just opened her mouth to ask her brunette friend what was going on when suddenly a shrilling sound, the first-bell, interrupted them.

"We gotta hurry." Elena declared, jumping onto her feet. "If we're late Mr. Saltzman won't like it. Come on."

She moved ahead, her two friends following at a brisk pace, realizing that Elena was practically running… they couldn't help but wonder what exactly she was running from: was it what Caroline had said? Or Bonnie? Or something else entirely?

 **.-.**

After school the girls went to eat together. While Valentine's Day was meant to be for couples, it was also meant to be for friends; besides, some like Caroline wouldn't actually get to see their boyfriends until the night, since he was working. So the girls had a late lunch at Grams's home and then got ready for their dates right there, since Jenna was with Alaric, Jeremy was supposed to be at the Grill with some friends, Samuel had just left for yet another trip (though he'd eaten with them) and Elizabeth (Forbes) was, like always, working.

Mia was going to spend the night with Grams, she loved reading many of the books the woman had, and had promised not use any 'delicate' information for her thesis. Also, it was so she wouldn't have to spend the night alone in an empty house, since it was pretty obvious for everyone that neither of the three girls would be making it back to their houses after their dates… unless it was with their lover tagging along.

It took a long while, since the girls took turns taking long baths with special salts made by Sheila just for them, rubbed their whole bodies with lotions also exclusively made and finally began getting dressed, Sheila and Mia helped them with their hair and makeup, and the end they were sure they would blow their respective beloved's minds.

"You all looked absolutely enchanting, my dears." Sheila declared once they were all done. "I truly hope you'll have a very lovely night, all of you."

"Thank you Grams!" All three girls went to embrace the woman, before turning to the girl beside her. "And you too Mia!"

"You know, I almost feel envious of you, if I only had a reason to get all dressed up like you…" Mia commented, only half-joking.

"Your time will come my dear, your time will come." Sheila assured the younger girl. "And when it does, you'll see the wait was worth it."

Mia nodded, while she hadn't know about magic and the supernatural for long, since the truth was revealed to her she hadn't doubted a thing, if Sheila said she was going to find love, then she was going to find it.

Before any of the girls could make another comment a knock was heard at the front door, and the two witches could sense the three presences at the door.

"They're here!" Mia squealed, watching from the window.

"Be a dear Mia and go open the front door." Sheila told her and then winked. "Then I'll have the girls go down one by one, for more effect."

Caroline, Bonnie and Elena could only giggle.

Mia quickly did as she had been asked, opened the house's front door and rushed the three men inside, instructing them to stand by the stairs and wait for their respective dates to come down. She was smiling all along.

"Why do I feel like they're planning something?" Matt asked in a half-whisper.

"Because they are." Stefan answered calmly. "Look."

Matt raised his head in time to see his girlfriend come down the stairs, and suddenly he was left open-mouthed and wide-eyed in shock.

There was Caroline, in a gypsy dress in aqua-green silk that went an inch or two past her knees, it brought out the hints of green in her eyes, which usually looked sea-blue, and went along very well with her blonde hair which she had arranged in simple loose curls that cascaded down her back. It was a much more modest attire than what Caroline would have worn a year before, even four months before, but like she'd said herself, she'd changed a lot. With the dress she was wearing light-brown flats with turquoise stones adorning them and a light-brown short-jacket; her only piece of jewelry was the friendship bracelet with vervain Elena had given her; and in a light brown handbag she kept her spray in case of an emergency.

"Matt?" Caroline asked, once she reached the end of the stairs.

And it was that Matt had yet to move. He didn't until Caroline wound her arm around his and pulled him from the end of the stairs so the next of them could receive their date.

"You look… stunning…" Matt finally murmured when he half-recovered.

Caroline blushed. She had never before blushed! Usually she would dress much more provocatively, liking it when people looked at her, when men drooled and followed her with their eyes, almost trying to undress her; and yet that day it was different, because she wanted to impress, but didn't want to look sluty. And Matt liked it! That made her very happy.

The sharp intake of breath coming from Stefan announced that the next girl was coming down the stairs, and while he seemed to have more control of his faculties than Matt, it was still a good thing he didn't need to breathe, because he didn't seem to be able to for the time being.

Elena smiled as she walked down the stairs, she was wearing a turquoise colored sleeveless calf-length dress which contrasted beautifully with her tanned skin, the v-neck allowed for the necklace Stefan had given her to look good on her, and the half-bare back (due to another v behind) was half-covered by her straight shiny brown hair, which she was wearing down for the first time in a long while; an ivory-white half-translucent shawl was draped over shoulders and low open heels of the same color finished her attire. Also, she had a small equally ivory white purse, in which she had, among other things, her vervain spray and a set of her chopsticks/stakes, just in case.

"You look… absolutely beautiful…" Stefan managed to say as Elena reached the landing and placed her hand in his. "Like an angel…"

Elena smiled as she lowered her eyes shyly.

Still smiling at her, Stefan brought out what looked like a corsage with a dozen blue miniature roses wound over the top half of it. While blue roses were slightly less rare than the black-magic ones, they were still hard to find, and their meaning fit very well with the occasion: a mystery, a quest to reach what seemed unattainable, an impossible/eternal love. It all fit so well with them, as far as Elena was concerned, except for the unattainable and the impossible parts, Stefan already had her, as she had him, that wasn't about to change any time soon…

While Damon didn't let out any reaction to show he'd seen Bonnie, or how he felt about her, Caroline and Stefan didn't have any problem sensing it, even Elena could make out, in his eyes, the deep love he felt, and how taken he was with Bonnie's looks.

The Little Witch was wearing a forest-green strapless dress that ended an inch or so above her knees, with a fitting torso and a slightly flowing skirt, along with high-heeled black-leather boots that reached almost to her knees, her caramel skin shone under the starlight with the oil she'd used on herself and the only pieces of jewelry on her were her lapis-pendant and a set of star-shaped jade-earrings her mother had given her many years before; a knee-length thin black-leather duster finished her attire. Her hair up in an elaborate twist, adorned with the Black Magic Rose which had been spelled for preservation, the hairdo left a few ebony curls falling gracefully around and her neck bare. She carried no purse, she didn't need to.

"If Elena is an angel then you're a goddess… my goddess…" Damon whispered as he kissed Bonnie wrist and pulled her to him, almost not noticing he'd spoken out-loud.

After many, many photos and a lot of promises to stay safe the couples finally left on their respective direction. Matt and Caroline in his blue truck had reservations for dinner on a fancy, yet not too expensive restaurant on the next town. Bonnie and Damon were on his Ferrari, they were going to a very expensive restaurant for some dinner and then on a walk, probably to end the night in their meadow for some private time. Stefan and Elena, they were on a red classic mustang Matt had helped Stefan fix and on their way to somewhere the brunette had no idea of, it was all part of her surprise. Still, neither couple had the slightest doubt they were going to have a very good night…

 **.-.**

Like the other couples, Stefan and Elena went for dinner to a restaurant for starters. But the real surprise came afterwards, when Stefan ordered the dessert to go and then directed his girlfriend back to the car as they drove off in a direction Elena had never gone.

When the renovated sports' car stopped eventually, Stefan insisted that Elena close her eyes and then he carried her as he ran for several more minutes before setting her down and allowing her to open her eyes again. It took a few seconds for Elena to realize where they were exactly: the Falls. Though it certainly was a part she had never been to before, after all, she was sure she would remember if she had ever seen such a beautiful and breath-taking place. The brunette guessed they must be somewhere deep in the Old Wood, deeper than anywhere she'd ever gone, it was green all around, and Elena could feel small droplets of water reaching her as she got close enough to the fall.

"This is…beautiful…" She whispered, turning to look at Stefan.

"Glad you like it." Stefan smiled softly at her. "I've been wanting to bring you to this place for a while now but never seemed to find the right time to do it."

"I really think the place is wonderful Stefan." Elena went to his side and embraced him tightly. "Thank you for sharing it with me."

It was until that moment that she noticed that Stefan had arranged a blanket on a dry rock, where he'd also set their dessert, a couple of glasses and a bottle of wine; it was almost like a picnic, though all the more romantic with their surroundings and the stars shining above them, through the canopy; there were also a couple of lanterns around. They were close enough to the fall to admire it without getting wet.

"I think these clothes might not have been the best for this place." Elena commented with a small giggle as she looked at her heels and dress.

She walked very carefully to the blanket, holding tightly to Stefan's arm so as not to trip, and as soon as they got to the blanket she took off her shoes and set them aside, sitting on the blanket and pulling her legs to a side.

"You had no idea what I had planned for tonight, and I still think you look gorgeous." Stefan said, kissing behind her ears as he settled beside her. "Half of the people in that restaurant couldn't stop looking at you, the males wanting to be me, the women envying you and the attention you seemed to be able to call the moment you stepped into the room. I've always known I'm a very fortunate man, but today just cinched it."

"I'm the one who's fortunate." Elena replied, turning enough to kiss him in the corner of his mouth. "I have you. Who else can claim to have such a considerate, loving, noble, doting, and lets not forget sexy and very handsome boyfriend?" she furrowed her brow and adding. "Well, Bonnie might contest my claim, but still…"

Stefan chuckled. Never, in all the years he'd been a vampire could he remember ever feeling like he did in that moment, so content, so free, so… at peace. It was perfect, or almost perfect, and it might be completely if he managed to finish his plan for the night.

The couple spent the next hour with Stefan feeding Elena bites of the Triple Chocolate Italian cake he had ordered after their dinner; while he could have eaten with her, as he'd done in the restaurant, food hardly had any taste for him, and he preferred to let his girlfriend enjoy it.

"Oh Stefan… this is delicious…" Elena commented halfway through the slice of cake.

She usually wouldn't indulge so much, as much as she loved chocolate, particularly a mix of dark chocolate with a sweeter variety, she couldn't help but totally love the cake. Besides, it's not like she didn't deserve something like that, if only once in a while.

The place was so quiet, so peaceful, Elena could almost imagined it was just she and Stefan in the whole world. They'd found their small piece of heaven, just like Bonnie's and Damon's meadow, it was wonderful.

Sometime after the cake and at least half the wine had been finished Elena remembered she'd made some plans of her own for the night, and it was time to act on them.

Stefan was just enjoying the night breeze, damp as it was due to the proximity of the beautiful cascade, when suddenly he realized he was no longer smelling the mix of roses and orchids, so characteristic of his beloved's scent, she was no longer laying against his chest as she had been for the last hour.

He opened his eyes to find her sitting sideways in front of him, a mix of inquisitiveness and nervousness in her eyes; the vampire couldn't help but wonder what was going on.

"There's one question I would like to ask you." Elena declared in a very serious voice. "And I need you to really be honest with your answer."

Stefan nodded slowly, hesitantly, he wasn't sure he was going to like what was coming.

"Several times in the last two months I've offered you my blood, mostly while we're in bed." Elena said slowly, nervously. "I don't know if I just haven't been explicit enough or you really don't want to drink my blood…"

"I just don't want to hurt you…" Stefan began.

"I've talked to Bonnie." Elena interrupted him, at the same time she blushed at the admission. "She told me that as long as I am willing it won't hurt, in fact, it would be all the opposite, and not just to me, but the both of us…"

"If I weren't to stop drinking in time…" Stefan began again.

"Stefan please," Elena's brows narrowed. "We both know you have better control than that. You love me, we love each other, I don't think you could kill me, or even truly hurt me. So what is the real reason? Do you really not want to share blood with me?"

"That is something I want more than anything else in the world." Stefan admitted quietly. "the problem is, I don't think you realize the true significance of such an exchange…"

"If you think I won't understand, then explain it to me." Elena stated.

She knew it was a very deep, passionate and intimate experience, and that very few vampires ever agreed to do something like that, particularly with a human; still, she wanted to know if there was more to it, at least from Stefan's point of view.

"I will not drink human blood to feed myself, never, I swore that a long time ago." Stefan began explaining in a low, serious voice. "And the blood exchange… if you talked to Bonnie, then you already know it's not something to be taken lightly, only the strongest, most devoted couples would do something like that. What I don't think you realize, is the level of commitment the blood exchange truly carries, particularly when it's done between a vampire and a human… it's a mix of trust, love, faith of the highest level, it's giving and taking anything and everything… it's forever." He sighed and lowered his voice, which had turned strong and passionate. "It's not that I don't want to exchange blood with you Elena, because a part of me wishes that like you cannot begin to imagine… it's that I don't know if you… if we are truly ready for that kind of commitment."

Elena opened her mouth and closed it a few times, as if trying to find the words to express what was going through her mind, though she was having a hard time…

"Wait." Stefan stopped her. "Before you say anything else, I have something for you." He brushed the corsage on her wrist lightly. "This, wasn't meant to be your only gift today."

At that Elena closed her mouth again and waited, wondering what was going on, perhaps she was about to find out what had taken him from her side for a whole weekend…because she knew the blue roses weren't the only reason, she just had forgotten to ask before.

As he spoke Stefan fished what looked like a small blue velvet bag from a pocket from the inner pocket of his jacket. He held one hand open and dropped on his palm the bag's contents. At first all Elena could see were small blue petals, similar to those of the roses in her corsage, until Stefan blew gently on them, the petals then flew off his palm, most landing either on Elena's lap or on her legs; when the brunette raised her head again she became aware of the one thing that remained on Stefan's open palm: it was a ring.

"Stefan…" Elena whispered in shock, not quite knowing what to say.

The band was made of white-gold and it looked like a vine that would wrap around the finger, but the most important part was perhaps the stone in the middle, it looked like a rose, a blue-rose…it took Elena a few seconds to realize it was made of lapis-lazuli.

"This is why I went away for the weekend." Stefan explained as he held the ring up for her. "I met a jewel-designer a few years ago; very talented but not very famous, since she prefers to work with half-precious gems rather than the more commercial diamonds, zirconium and the like. I knew she'd worked with lapis-lazuli before, so I went looking for her and had this commissioned. It was a rush order, since I only had two days, but I still think it is good."

Elena could only watch the ring, and Stefan's hand as he held it, not saying a thing. She could remember Bonnie's words that very morning, the significance of a vampire gifting a human dear to him/her a piece of jewelry with lapis-lazuli…

"Elena…?" Stefan asked, confused and suddenly anxious.

"Can you take me home please?" Elena asked out of the blue, as she looked away. "I want to go to my home, please."

"Yes, of course." Stefan answered immediately.

And yet, deep inside he could feel his heart and soul breaking. What had gone wrong? Had he gone too far, assumed too much? Maybe he'd been right when fearing she really wasn't ready for the commitment… he just hoped that his mistake wouldn't cost him Elena's love in the end. He could hardly process how a day that had apparently begun so perfectly had ended up in such a disaster.

 **.-.**

Caroline was lying awake, with her head on a pillow, facing her boyfriend's currently asleep form. The lovemaking had been very tender and sweet, unlikely anything the blonde had experienced before. It had been unusual, yet very special, it was the first time they slept together, and they had both enjoyed it.

Matt had fallen asleep shortly after they had finished their lovemaking, but Caroline still remained awake, even if not even she knew why exactly. It's not like she was concerned about getting home or something, in days like Valentine's Day and such her mother always worked through the night, so most likely she wouldn't even notice that the girl wasn't home, and even if she did, it's not like the woman was too naïve not to realize the kind of life her daughter lead and had been leading for years.

Still, that didn't quite explain why she was still awake…

"Caro… go to sleep already…" Matt whispered suddenly, his eyes only half open.

The girls blue-green eyes widened, she wasn't expecting him to wake up.

"Come on…" He insisted, pulling her to him so he could give her a lingering kiss and then lay her head on his shoulder. "Sleep. We have school tomorrow."

It took a while still, but eventually she did, and still not knowing what exactly had been the cause of her insomnia in the first place.

 **.-.**

In the Meadow Bonnie's short dress had ridden up as she straddled Damon's hips while he sat on a fallen tree, but neither of them cared for details in that moment as they were otherwise engaged. A part of both of them could sense something was amiss, the earth, the water and even the air seem to carry the heaviness of sadness in them, but they were just too busy to stop and really think about what they were sensing.

Two jackets had been dropped on a side and Damon's dress shirt was half-unbuttoned, allowing them to connect their mouths to each other's throat and exchange blood. It was such a rush, that in that moment the Little Witch and her Dark Angel were hardly aware of anything in the world other than each other…

 **.-.**

And meanwhile, in an otherwise empty bedroom, a brown-haired, deep-blue eyed girl could only press her head into her soaked pillow to drown her sobs as she cried her eyes out. She was still wearing the same turquoise dress of her date, though the corsage had ended up on her bedside table, and ever time her eyes laid on the perfect, beautiful blue roses her tears would start anew. She really didn't understand how something that had begun so perfectly could have ended up so bad…

"I love you Stefan…" She whispered amidst sobs to the empty night. "Oh Spirits… I swear I do… I love you…"

 _And I still believe in the good_

 _And I still believe in the light_

 _And I wanna feel the sun_

 _I wanna free you tonight_

* * *

P.S.S. If you ask nicely I'm willing to explain why I've created this awful mess, and possibly even give you a tiny little advance of what's coming. If not... I'll see you in two weeks with the next chapter.


	10. Traumas

Here we go! Now, a warning. For those who are waiting for a certain something to happen... I will be nice and tell you it's coming, but not here just yet. This chapter addresses another point I found important, concerning Caroline. I hope you'll like it.

By the way, before you begin making plans to kill me, remember that I need to be alive to post the next chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 9. Traumas**

It had been about a week and since Valentine's day when Caroline stepped across the doorstep of the Salvatore home, only to promptly need to hold onto the nearest shelf before she went crashing to the ground.

"Caro!" Bonnie cried out as she rushed to her friend's side.

With some effort, the witch managed to help her blonde friend, who suddenly looked as if she could barely hold herself up, to the living room and the nearest couch.

"What happened to you?" Bonnie asked, very worried.

"Dear Spirits… and I thought Elena was bad…" Caroline moaned as she pressed the palm of a hand against her forehead. "I'm actually not sure anymore which of them is worse right now, her or Stefan! Spirits… it hurts…"

"What…?" The hazel-eyed didn't even need to finish the question, as she suddenly understood what was happening. "You're feeling his emotions, Stefan's emotions! And you said you've felt Elena's?"

Caroline barely managed to nod, what she was feeling coming from Stefan was so intense she almost thought she would have blacked out… though that same intensity would have probably woken her up again almost instantly so maybe there was no point.

Bonnie seemed to realize the pain her friend was in and, after placing her own palms on the blonde's temples she began whispering a spell under her breath. In a matter of seconds a psychic-shield had been erected, and while the Sensitive could still perceive the deep pain Stefan was in, at least she wasn't collapsing beneath the weight of it anymore.

"I really… really need to learn how to shield." Caroline whispered with a thankful smile. "It would be simply disastrous if I were to be truly needed one day, only to collapse under the weight of someone else's emotions. I won't allow this to cripple me!"

"I can teach you, probably Damon too." Bonnie pointed out. "We would have suggested it before, but we didn't imagine your gift would be growing this fast."

The Sensitive nodded at the idea, and yet she couldn't hide the slight grimace the moment Damon was mentioned; the witch had a very good idea as to what caused that reaction in her friend, but before she could say anything about it, Caroline was talking again.

"I just came from Elena's place, though I didn't actually get to see her, according to Jenna she's still avoiding everything and everyone she possibly can." Caroline said. "I think she'd even be skipping school if she actually thought she could get away with it." She shook her head. "The thing is, that even when I never actually stepped into the house, her emotions were still strong enough that Jeremy had to catch me when I almost fell down the porch-steps, it took a while to convince him I was alright… though I guess that since he was so interested in going to see his friend he decided to just buy my story that I tripped and leave… Anyway, like I was saying, Elena's emotions were really intense, almost as much as Stefan's, and I don't understand how that is even possible… I mean, Stefan is a vampire, so he has power, and that naturally makes everything I could sense about him pretty intense, right? And then to get the same, or nearly the same intensity from a full-human like Elena…?"

"Maybe if the two of them exchanged blood, that would explain it…" Bonnie suggested, biting her lip in consideration.

"They didn't." Damon commented as he entered the room. "And that's precisely the problem."

Caroline turned to look at the vampire, debating between asking what he meant and ignoring him completely, like she had been doing for several weeks already; in the end Bonnie asked the question in both of their minds.

"What do you mean?" The witch was really confused.

"Well, you know I have very little of what is known as tact…" Damon began as he dropped on a couch, beside his spouse, and extended his arms over the back of it.

"I'm surprised you have any at all…" Caroline couldn't help but mutter under her breath.

Damon winked at the blonde, it didn't go unnoticed the way she turned away from him, but he decided that, at least for the time being, they had more important things to talk about, like his little brother's troubles with his girlfriend…

"Anyway, I talked to him and he told me what happened on Valentine's Day." Damon went on. "Apparently my dear little brother decided he was ready to fully commit himself to his beautiful inamorata and…"

Bonnie covered her mouth with a hand at the same time she swallowed a sigh, she suddenly had a very good idea of what had happened, and it hurt, she hurt in behalf of both of her friends, while at the same time she wondered why things had gone wrong exactly.

"As my Little Witch already guessed, my little brother offered Elena a ring, one with a lapis-lazuli stone…" Damon left the rest of the sentence hanging.

It was obvious that he didn't need to explain the implications of such actions, both girls knew them well enough. Bonnie couldn't help but caress her own pendant, as if reassuring herself it was there, while at the same time wondering why Elena wouldn't accept the one that was offered to her, it was obvious she loved Stefan… Bonnie really couldn't understand it…

The three stayed on the living room for a while, as Bonnie began instructing Caroline on how to build psychic shields so she wouldn't be in as much pain as she'd been that day, twice in the same day in fact. The blonde turned out to be a very good student, or a very motivated one at least, and soon enough was capable of holding a shield that, while it didn't completely block emotions from reaching her, at least was enough that they wouldn't make her collapse which, she decided was enough, it wasn't like she was trying to stop her gift from working at all, she did like being Sensitive.

With the 'lessons' over Bonnie made her way to the kitchen claiming she needed a snack or something like that. She's a bit hungry and it wasn't time for dinner yet. The moment she left the living room Caroline took a breath and moved to stand.

"I think I should better leave…" She began.

However, before she could give a single step, Damon suddenly wasn't sprawled on the biggest couch anymore, instead he was standing right in front of her, blocking her way to the main hall and the front door.

"Stop right there, missy." Damon said extending his hand to her.

Instinctively, Caroline stepped back, away from his reach; she knew that if he really wanted to get a hold of her nothing would be able to stop him, but that didn't seem to be his intention in that moment, not really.

"You've been avoiding me." Damon declared, crossing his arms.

It's a statement, not a question, and Caroline knew that, still, didn't mean she'd just accept it, she was far more stubborn than that.

"Am not." She stated, chin up in defiance.

"Are too." Damon replied, before smirking and adding. "And we're not kindergartners to be arguing like this."

Caroline rolled her eyes, she knew he was right, but it's not like she has any more elaborate arguments to fight his statement.

"While you may not be as obvious as Elena… and my dear little brother…" Damon went on. "You are, most definitely, avoiding me. Have been for a while now, since even before Valentine's Day…" he stopped her from saying anything. "You don't have to try to deny it, or even agree with me, because I even know why you're doing it."

"Really?" Caroline challenged, fire in her eyes. "Well, if you know everything, then why don't you tell me already so I can go?"

"Your petty anger really won't help us here…" Damon began.

"Really?" Caroline interrupted him, hands fisting at her sides. "So you now think I'm petty, that's it? Well…"

"This argument is really getting out of hand." Damon interrupted her, stepping closer to her.

The moment he gave a single step Caroline shut up, then flinched visibly before freezing in place; and even in her immobility, it was quite obvious that she was like a coiled spring, at the slightest provocation she would jump. Also, he might not be, like she, empathic, but he could practically smell the fear coming from her every pore; for the first time since the bubbly blonde teenager had truly gotten involved in the world of the supernatural she was honestly afraid, and not just of anything, she was afraid of Damon Salvatore…

Damon paused, eyes narrowing; he'd been so sure what the whole 'evasion maneuvers' were about, but in that moment, he wasn't so sure anymore; surely Caroline couldn't be that afraid of him for that…

"Is this because of what happened at that house in the woods, when we went to get my Little Witch's cousin?" Damon asked, brow furrowing. "For what happened to that old lady?"

"What happened to her?!" Caroline snapped unexpectedly, a great deal of her fear shifting into righteous anger. "You mean what you did to her! You killed her! Mrs. Gibbons was an innocent, a victim of those other vampires, and instead of helping her you killed her!" her voice and emotion shifted again, this time turning hysterical. "You just… you didn't care. You killed her and it was nothing to you… Human life is nothing to you… just like when you came so close to killing me just because… and more than once!"

Even after she was finished with her rant, it seemed to take Caroline a few seconds to actually realize everything she had just said, that seemed to be the signal she had been waiting for, in a second she sprung, running in the direction of the exist.

And yet, there was no way a human would ever be faster than a vampire, she hadn't even gotten to the living room's entrance when Damon was standing right behind her, arms tightly holding both of her arms to her torso, keeping her in place.

"Let me go!" She screamed once, before turning hysterical yet again. "Please let me go… please, please… please just let me go… please… please don't kill me… please…"

Bonnie stepped out of the kitchen, a hand covering her mouth, her eyes full of compassion. She'd known that her spouse was planning on confronting Caroline the moment the witch left the room, it was the whole reason why the ebony-haired had given that excuse of wanting a snack; however, neither she nor Damon had expected things to turn like that.

Even when Damon let go of the girl, she didn't try running again, instead her legs just stopped supporting her and she fell to the floor, where she curled upon herself, crying and sobbing hysterically, and all the while pleading for Damon not to hurt her.

Damon briefly covered his face with one palm, he'd known there was something wrong with his beloved's friend, but never did he imagine it would be that bad. In all the time he'd had of knowing Caroline, he'd never seen her like that, never even imagined seeing her like that, not even when first remembering about Damon's actions against her and coming in contact with the vampire…in fact, as far as he could remember it was she who had gone looking for him that night, while the Winter Dance was taking place, she was the one who warned him of his Little Witch's insane and potentially-lethal plan…

"I knew that what happened with Mrs. Gibbons had affected her but this…" Bonnie shook her head silently. "This goes much, much further, doesn't it?"

"Judging by her pleading for her life, and the fact that she's downright terrified of me right now… I think it comes all the way from the times I first tried to kill her…" Damon admitted.

Bonnie called on wind then, to levitate the blonde to the largest couch in the living room, afraid of how she would react if Damon tried carrying her; at the same time, she caught up with what her beloved had just said.

"Times?" Bonnie's eyes narrowed slightly. "As in, more than one?"

She knew about the party, when Elena had first seen Caroline's bite marks, and then had found her on the gardens, confused and half-hysterical; but she didn't know about any other.

"You remember how Zack and Stefan joined to take me down after that party." Damon remembered telling that to his beloved.

"Yes." Bonnie nodded. "Stefan knew he couldn't spike your drink, so instead he spiked Caro's, so when you drank her blood, the vervain ended up in your system."

"Exactly." Damon nodded. "After that, they locked me in the cellar and… I actually don't know what they were planning for later, never thought to ask them…"

"You told me you were in a rage when you managed to get out." Bonnie pointed out. "It's why you killed Zack, and later on what happened with Vickie and her druggie friends."

"That's right." Damon nodded soberly, the situation with Vickie was one of the very few he had ever regretted, even more than murdering his own uncle. Zack had known what he was getting into when he moved against him, Vickie had had no idea…" he shook his head. "I managed to compel Caroline, even from a distance, before I ran out of power, it was thanks to her that I even got out of that cellar. Zack arrived, I… snapped his neck, and Caroline broke out long enough to run away. Since it was day out and Stefan had taken my ring I couldn't go after her… I'm thankful for that now, I honestly don't know what I would have done with the state of mind I was in back then…" he shook his head again. "And I can hardly believe she even remembers as much as she does…"

"Grams says it's because of the vervain." Bonnie explained. "Either there's something about her physiology that caused the unexpected reaction, or she might have some magic in her blood, not enough for her to actually be a witch, but enough that the vervain not only stopped her from being compelled again, but it also weakened the previous blocks placed in her memory…as well as turning her into a Sensitive…"

"I'm not sure if she's a very lucky human… or a cursed one." Damon commented. "On one hand, she has power, if in a rather unorthodox way, and her knowledge, joined with that, gives her a better chance of surviving in this world… on the other, she probably would be happier if she could just forget…"

Bonnie bit her lip in thought, she had never considered that her friend might be happier if she didn't actually have to remember everything she'd been through. The young witch recalled a conversation with Elena, back when it had all seemed so new to the both of them, Elena had told her how Damon offered her a chance to forget: about Vickie, about vampires, about Stefan… but Elena had turned it down, because, even at a moment when she'd felt she just couldn't be with Stefan, she still loved him too much, and didn't want to lose that part…

"No… not forget…" Caroline mumbled. "I don't want to forget…"

Almost automatically Damon took a few steps away from the couch where the blonde was laying and Bonnie was doing her best to comfort her; he really didn't want his closeness to send her into another fit of hysterics…or worse.

"Caro…" Bonnie asked, softly rubbing her friend's back.

"Memories are important." Caroline whispered, her eyes still half-closed. "Don't want to lose my memories… no…"

"Are you sure, Caro?" Bonnie asked, at the same time she swallowed a knot in her throat, this was for her friend. "We all know Damon can't compel you, but I could look for a spell, or if necessary try and create one. I don't want you to feel like you need to keep carrying this burden if you don't want to… it's not fair to you."

"What wouldn't be fair to me is to take away all this… to force me to go back to who I was before… before all this…" Caroline finally opened her eyes, expression resolute. "Things aren't the way they were months ago… I'm not the same person I was four months ago, not by a long shot. If I had to go back to being her… I don't know what that would be like. But mostly, I don't want to lose all this… This closeness we have, all three of us, and Mia, and… and yes, even Stefan and Damon." She sighed. "Bon, you, Lena and I hadn't been this close since even before High-School. True, we never stopped being friends, but we weren't as tight as we had been before either. I don't want to lose all that… I don't want to lose you all…"

A lone tear fell down Bonnie's cheek, she hadn't wanted to lose her friend either, as wonderful as Elena was, Caroline was really special too, not just for what she had done for her back in November and December, but for all the times she'd been there for her… the only reason the witch had ever forced herself to consider the possibility of erasing the blonde's memory, was by telling herself it might be what was best for Caro's own good…

"Caroline…" Damon began.

The blonde flinched again, though not as badly as she had before, and then moved to sit upright in the couch, ignoring Damon's hesitant attempt to help her and instead holding onto Bonnie and the back of the couch to do so.

"I know… I may have overreacted a bit…" Caroline began softly.

"Shut up." Damon practically growled suddenly.

Caroline froze again, not as terrified as she had been a few minutes earlier, but shaken enough to remain immobile and completely quiet.

Bonnie for her part, turned around sharply, while still sitting, directing a glare at her beloved, wanting to demand an explanation on why he was acting like that all of a sudden… until she saw his demeanor…

In that moment Damon had his head lowered enough that his bangs were covering his eyes, and he himself looked very tightly strung, almost as much as Caroline herself had earlier.

"Just… just don't say anything right now, ok?" Damon took a deep breath before adding. "This isn't exactly the easiest thing I've done… I don't think I've actually ever done this before, so here goes… I'm sorry." He let out a breath. "I'm sorry I tried to kill you. For what it's worth, I wasn't really in all my senses either time I tried anything…"

Caroline's full body relaxed almost instantly and her expression softened; it was as if Damon's words, awkward as they might have been, had just taken a huge burden off her.

In a move quiet unexpected, as far as everyone in the room was concerned, the blonde got on her feet and then went to embrace Damon, who was as immobile as a brick-wall, still, she didn't let that stop her; she just wished he could sense what she was feeling in that moment, the acceptance, the calmness… the peace…

"I forgive you Damon…" Was all she whispered in a very low voice.

From a side, Bonnie smiled.

A few minutes later they had all gathered their wits again and sat with glasses of coke, or in Damon's case, a scotch.

"There's one thing I still think needs to be explained." Damon announced. "Mrs. Gibbons."

Caroline lowered her eyes, the situation with the woman was what had set her off, though, if she was honest with herself, it was the woman herself that had actually affected her that much, only the memory it carried of her own distressing situation.

"It is true I killed her, I will never try to deny that." Damon stated seriously. "But you need to understand one thing. Death isn't the worst that could happen, to anybody. And sometimes, it might be preferable to the other possibility."

Caroline made an effort to swallow the coke she had been drinking. Just a handful of weeks before she would have denied there being anything worse than death; probably even an hour before she would have still thought that… but not anymore. Even without wanting to think what exactly could be worse than death, she instinctively knew Damon was right, there were things, probably a lot of things, that were much worse than death…

Meanwhile, unnoticed to the blonde, Bonnie and Damon were holding hands tightly, both remembering quiet vividly, if briefly, Bonnie's blood-freezing vision while in Florence. For each of them, seeing the one they loved most in such conditions, possibly about to be introduced to a world of torture, definitely qualified as worse than death, for themselves and each other; they each knew they would rather die than have to see the other suffer, but they also would rather die than their own suffering be used against the other.

Maybe one day Caroline would understand that…hopefully she would never have to.

"Mrs. Gibbons had been compelled by someone." Damon began explaining. "Whether it was Pearl, Harper, Frederick or someone else I don't know. She was compelled to feed them when needed, to only invite in those she was instructed to, and to say nothing about it all. That last part in particular, ended up being more of a curse that you could ever imagine…" he shook his head. "Not only could she not say anything to other people, ask for help, she also couldn't complain about anything, express any discomfort, any pain… nothing at all."

Caroline gasped, and almost immediately covered her mouth with a hand, such a situation…it was just horrible.

"She had been in that condition for weeks, possibly months even." Bonnie added softly, sadly. "By all means, she should have died already by the time we got there…" she sighed. "There's no way Mrs. Gibbons could have survived what happened to her Caro. You know if there had been a way, no matter how hard, Damon and I would have done things differently; but it just wasn't possible. In her condition… death was the only mercy we could grant her."

Caroline nodded, tears brimming in her eyes as she swallowed the knot in her empty throat. She still found the whole concept of 'things worse than death' hard, but she'd seen the bite marks on the old lady, and had instinctively known that she'd been in a worse condition than Caroline herself had ever been during her involvement with Damon… in the end, the vampire had really done the best he could, for everyone involved…

"I still have a hard time understanding everything." The blonde admitted after a while. "But I get it, I think." She turned to Damon. "I know you're not a monster, not like I might have once thought… I cannot say I will never overreact again, because we all know I'll probably will, but I'll try to wait for an explanation before making a storm in a glass of water."

"I thought making storms was my Little Witch's specialty." Damon quipped.

It was a bad attempt at humor, it really was, and they all knew it. And yet they all laughed, because laughing meant they had gotten past that. There might be other trouble in the future, different, possibly smaller, probably bigger, but they would get through all of them just like they had with the most recent one.

And just like that, one day Stefan and Elena would get past whatever the true problem was between them in that moment… hopefully soon. Neither of the three were sure how long they could just stand there and watch the couple suffer, it just went against all their instincts; which meant that if they didn't solve things on their own soon… one of them just might end up doing something drastic… and neither of them were the most patient of people…

 **.-.**

It was the weekend yet again, and Samuel Bennett was home; it was something he'd been trying since the conversation with his daughter, to be home more. He'd been able to work an arrangement with the people he worked for, where he only left on weekend trips every other week, sometimes he still left on trips for several days, but as long as he had the time to eat at least one meal a day with his daughter and niece for half the week, he was happy.

It had been so long since Leah had been lost, not just to him, he realized by then, Leah wasn't just a wife, she was also a daughter, and a mother, it was obvious how much both Sheila and Bonnie missed her, though they had been able to lean on each other for comfort and, of course, Bonnie's other friends; Samuel had had no one, not because there wasn't anyone to help him, but because he'd been so buried in his own pain and grief he hadn't seen them.

He was trying to change all that, was trying to connect with what was left of his family in a way he hadn't done for the last too many years. At times he feared it may be too late, but Bonnie seemed to be making an effort to include him in her life too, and Mia helped where she could… at times she was the whole reason their conversations didn't become more awkward, Samuel was never going to be able to thank her enough, that girl really couldn't have chosen a better time for traveling to Mystic Falls… even if he wasn't still fully sure why she'd gone there in the first place… something to do with her bachelor's degree…

"So much has happened…" Samuel muttered to himself as he settled the containers of take-out food in the table, he'd wanted to save the girls from cooking for the night. "So much I still don't know, that I might never know…"

Samuel Bennett wasn't stupid, he knew there was a part of her own life his daughter kept carefully guarded, hidden from his eyes, and most likely from the eyes of many others. There were moments, long silences during their conversations, when he was sure she was editing something in her thoughts, leaving out things she didn't think he should know; and he also got the feeling that Mia knew perfectly well what was going on, if that was because of how observant the girl was, or because she actually knew what it was Bonnie omitted, Samuel had to admit not having the slightest idea.

The man could only hope, hope that whatever secrets his daughter was keeping from him weren't the dangerous kind, that even if she felt she couldn't trust him with all of her life she had someone she could trust that much, that maybe someday he would be able to earn that much trust from her... all he could do was hope.

"So, what will it be tonight?" Mia asked as she stepped into the dinning room.

"Mexican." Samuel answered as he opened the containers of food.

"Never eaten it before." Mia declared as she sat down at the table. "Will be interesting."

"I have." Bonnie announced, entering the dining room as well. "It's pretty good, some of it tends to be spicy, and you might want to be careful with the chili, some of the dishes with it can be… well, strong."

"I asked for the sauce to be put aside." Samuel informed the girls, signaling to the two bags of sauce, one green one red.

"That's good." Bonnie nodded. "But some dishes still have chili in them. I'm just saying this so Mia is careful, I know she doesn't like it, or too spicy food."

Mia nodded, with what Sam had said there was more of a chance that things would be alright, but she would still be careful.

Dinner went well, none of the dishes had much chili in them, and even those that did, it wasn't a very strong one, so Mia could enjoy a little of everything. Samuel and Bonnie, who did like spices and chili, finished the sauces between the two of them, enjoying it all immensely, in Sam's case, he hadn't had a good Mexican dinner in a long time.

"So Mia." Sam called when they were nearly done. "I've been meaning to ask you, how has your work been going? I mean, did you find what you were looking for, here in Mystic Falls?"

"Not exactly." Mia admitted after swallowing the bite caught in her throat in surprise. "I came here looking for a woman, who had been helping me, reading my research online and that sort of thing, I thought she lived here… I was wrong."

"Who were you looking for?" Sam asked. "Maybe I knew her."

"I don't think you did." Mia sighed. "But anyway, her name is Isobel Flemming."

The girl purposefully left her married name out, not wanting Samuel to connect her to the high-school professor: Alaric Saltzman, not wanting to bring up even more questions, especially when she herself didn't know the answers to them yet.

"Flemming… Flemming…" Samuel repeated thoughtfully, shaking his head. "Doesn't sound familiar. The name Isobel, on the other hand, does. There was this girl, I think she was a runaway, she stayed with Grayson and Miranda Gilbert for some time; though this was a few years back. No one knew why they decided to take her in, where she had come from, why she'd left her home, nothing at all. Then one day she was gone… just like that…" he looked thoughtful again before adding. "In fact, this was shortly before Elena Gilbert was born."

Bonnie nodded noncommittally, though inside her mind was spinning, she was pretty sure that girl was Elena's birth mother, and she already knew she had also been married to Alaric Saltzman before being killed… though an instinct inside her told her there was something more, something related to the fact that Mia had supposedly been e-mailing her and talking with her on the phone for months after she was supposed to have died…

Bonnie's line of thought broke off, at the same time as an unimaginable pain hit her strongly.

"Argg…" She moaned as she held her head in both hands.

The response was instant, as both Mia and Sam rushed to help Bonnie; the young witch tried to move, only to end up falling to the floor. Everything just hurt so much… and it wasn't a pain in her physical body, it was a pain inside, she could hardly think beyond it.

"Bonnie, are you alright?" Mia kept asking, over and over.

The girl knew something was wrong, and instinctively she realized it was of the supernatural kind, she didn't know what to do, who might be able to help them; and even then, as she saw her uncle reaching for the phone, mumbling about calling an ambulance, she also knew that wouldn't do any good. She kept trying to get Bonnie to talk to her, but even when she did, the girl couldn't understand anything of what was being said, until she caught one word:

Bonnie was in so much pain, she had a very hard time focusing; and she, when she managed, she also realized the pain wasn't her own, it was a mere reflection, an echo of someone else's, and that could only mean one thing, which made her panic even worse:

"Damon…"

 _And I still believe in the good_

 _And I still believe in the light_

 _And I wanna feel the sun_

 _I wanna free you tonight_


	11. Rescue

New chapter! Here we go! Hope you enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter 10. Rescue**

Samuel was still pacing from one side of the living room to the other, as he'd been since his niece had, quite unexpectedly, taken the cordless phone from his hand, claiming an ambulance would be useless and then went ahead and phoned two separate people, he had no idea who, or what she'd said to them, since he was still very stressed out by his daughter's soft whines and moans. It was obvious she was in pain, deep pain, even if the man had no idea how or why.

Mia, for her part, was kneeling on the ground, in front of the sofa where Samuel had managed to help Bonnie lay, trying to help her relax, or coax her into telling her what was going on exactly, however, it didn't seem to be working. The only thing she'd managed to make out thus far had been Damon's name, and nothing clear after that.

It was at that point that the front door opened, allowing Sheila inside. The woman didn't bother with greetings or pleasantries of any kind, instead going to it on the sofa, right above Bonnie's head.

"Bonnie… grandbaby, can you hear me?" Sheila asked softly.

Bonnie muttered something under her breath, and this time both women managed to catch two words: 'Damon', and 'hurts'… Whatever was going on, it obviously involved Damon, Sheila suspected that something had happened, or most likely was still happening to him, he was being hurt, and Bonnie was sensing it through the bond.

"Grams?" Mia asked softly. "Can you help her?"

It had taken no time at all for the young mahogany-haired to join the other girls in seeing the woman as part of her own family, as a grandmother, it was nice…

"I think so." Sheila whispered. "My grandbaby probably won't like this, but unless I block the bond, at least slightly, I don't think she'll be able to function. And she'll need to be top-shape if we hope to get her beloved back…"

"So you really think he's involved in this?" Mia had suspected as much.

"I'm quite sure of it." Sheila answered. "Bonnie must have explained to you the bond the two of them share… it's the only thing that can explain her being hurt, without anything hurting her directly… depending how bad it all is, we might need to make haste."

Samuel's eyes narrowed as he noticed the whispering conversation between the two females, he couldn't make out anything that was being said, but he had a hunch it couldn't be anything good. Still, he did notice when Sheila began chanting words in a different language, while holding her palms against Bonnie's temples.

"Damon!" Bonnie cried out as she shot up on the sofa, gasped breaths coming from her an instant later as she trembled almost violently in her place.

At the same time, Samuel Bennett snapped.

"So it's your fault!" He practically growled in Sheila's direction. "You've gotten my daughter involved in your insanity, your magic… you've gotten her into your god-damned mess… the same one that already took Leah!" He was totally furious. "Is that what you want?! For Bonnie to die? Like Leah did?! Are you that cold-hearted?!"

Mia could just kneel there, wide-eyed and frozen in shock; she'd known her uncle's wife had died years before, when Bonnie was only eleven, it had been a tragedy, some bank-robbers had gotten nervous when the police arrived, Leah worked as a cashier in that bank; one of the robbers had gotten nervous and pulled the trigger of his gun, after that a shooting had started, Leah had been hit by a bullet, while trying to protect some young customers… by the time the shooting was over, by the time the ambulance arrived and the paramedics got inside, it was too late already, Leah Bennett had bled to death in the bank's floor. What the girl didn't understand was, how was magic involved with that? With the robbers, or the shooting? Mia knew magic existed, knew that both Bonnie and Grams were witches, but how exactly was the tragedy of her Aunt Leah's murder caused by magic? It just wasn't logical.

"Dad?" Bonnie inquired, half-confused half-annoyed.

Her mind was spinning, half of it busy over the fact that her beloved was in danger, and being hurt, a quarter thankful to both Mia and her Grams for helping her focus again, while the other quarter was trying to deal with the bomb her father had, so opportunely, thrown at her…

"Wha…?" She tried to focus on one sole thing. "You know about the magic? Since when?"

"Since always." Samuel half-snapped, still angry. "Do you really think I would marry your mother without knowing the truth?" he shook his head. "It's not like she could have hidden it from me even if she'd wanted to, the family… we've always known the Bennett secret."

That made Bonnie's head spin even more, she was about to ask what the hell her father was talking about, when suddenly there was a knock on the door. Swiftly, unthinkingly, Bonnie waved her hand, unlocking the door and swinging it open without even having to turn in the direction of it.

"Hello?" It was Elena at the door. "Mia? Bonnie? Mr. Bennett? Is anyone home?"

"In the living room Elena." Mia half-squeaked at the tension still thick in the room.

"So you are a witch." Samuel said, his eyes narrowing.

"I am." Bonnie answered simply, as she swung her legs off the sofa. "Have been for a very long time. If you'd been around more you might have noticed." She knew it was unfair, to bring that back up again, but she just couldn't help it.

"I just…" Samuel pulled at his own hair slightly, stressed. "I had hoped…"

"That I wouldn't be one?" Bonnie finished for him, in an almost sardonic tone. "It doesn't work like that. I was born a witch, and I'll die a witch. That's reality, either accept it, or don't, right now I have more pressing things to deal with…"

She turned over her shoulder to see Elena, wide eyed, barely a few feet away from the door, she was turning to look at each person in the room, again and again, as if trying to decide if she was seeing what she thought she was.

"Elena?" Bonnie raised her eyebrows, waiting to know what her friend was doing there.

It took a second or two for Elena to gather her bearings, what she'd walked into was shocking, and the way Bonnie had spoken, the way she held herself, it was all so Damon… that reminded the brunette why she was there in the first place, and why it was so important.

"Mia called me." Elena answered, her voice conveying deep worry. "I've already called Stefan, he isn't answering his phone. And no one's answering the phone at the boardinghouse either. I even tried Damon's phone… nothing."

"No, he wouldn't have been able to." Bonnie grimaced. "I think that right now he's able to do anything but feel pain…"

"What's happening Bonnie?" Elena answered seriously. "I thought this was all over, especially after… the last time."

She didn't even dare to turn and steal a glance at Mia, the situation was already stressful enough with them not knowing about the Salvatore brothers, and Elena still didn't understand what Bonnie's father was doing there.

"Someone's got him." Bonnie answered, her despair managing to leak through her eyes even as she kept her expression and voice completely blank. "I don't know who, I don't know why, but it's someone who knows him, enough that he was caught off guard… they're torturing him Elena! They are torturing my Damon!"

At those words Elena rushed Bonnie and held her in a tight embrace, as tight as she could.

"We'll get them back Bon, you'll see." Elena whispered against her hair. "Both your Damon and my Stefan… and whoever is responsible for this is gonna pay…"

"Is he still your Stefan?" Bonnie asked solemnly.

"Look, I know I've been an idiot for the last… well, too many days." Elena admitted. "But believe me when I say that if there is something that has never changed, it is my love for Stefan. The rest… we'll settle when this is all over."

"If those young men are in trouble we should call the police." Samuel declared suddenly.

"Do you really think dad, that the police can do anything about this?" Bonnie narrowed a brow as she shook her head. "Besides, this isn't their business."

"And it's yours?" Samuel challenged.

Wrong move, and all the women present knew it.

"Yes, it is." Bonnie hissed back as she got on her feet, her aura flaring around her. "Damon is my soulmate, the love of my existence, and anyone who's dared mess with him will learn why it is a very bad idea to cross Bonnie Bennett!"

Samuel couldn't help it, he stepped back, he'd never seen his daughter like that. He knew there was more going on that the two girls' boyfriends being in trouble, and he didn't even want to imagine what that trouble might be exactly. And yet it was obvious that Elena, and Mia as well, had a perfectly good idea of the situation they were in, and they also seemed willing to go fight directly to get the two Salvatore's back. Just what was going on?!

"Can you track him down?" Elena inquired softly.

"Grams had to put blockers on my bond with Damon, so I could function." Bonnie admitted. "So right now I really can't… but you can track Stefan."

Elena's brow furrowed.

"With this." Bonnie touched the necklace her friend rarely took off. "You told me that Stefan gave it to you, right? That he'd had it for a very long time."

"Yes…" Elena nodded, still not quite understanding.

"Due to the length of time that he had it, either Grams or I must be able to work a locator spell around it." Bonnie elaborated. "The necklace will work like a sort of compass, and guide us to him. It would be more effective than the actual compass, since that one we don't know if it won't end up leading us to someone else…"

Elena nodded, and without a second of hesitation took the necklace off, offering it to the two witches. In the end it was Grams who took it, at the moment she was more focused than her granddaughter, and the locator spell wasn't very hard to make.

As soon as it began moving without it being touched they all knew it had worked.

"I have my car outside." Elena informed Bonnie. "If you drive I can keep holding the necklace and we'll follow where it leads us. I'm sure either Stefan and Damon will be together, or at least Stefan will be able to help us find his brother."

Bonnie nodded, it was a good plan.

They took jackets, and were about to open the front door, when Samuel stopped.

"Wait right there young ladies." He ordered. "Elena, I really have no idea how you're involved in all this insanity, but still. Bonnie, you're not going anywhere."

"Yes, I am." Bonnie answered simply.

"Bonnie Aithné Bennett," Samuel was getting really pissed at her daughter's disobedience. "You're my daughter and…"

"And old enough to choose my own life." Bonnie interrupted him. "I'm over eighteen dad, you cannot rule my life anymore. It doesn't matter if you approve or not, I am a witch, I am with someone that I love, someone who right now depends on me to save him… so if you don't mind, Elena and I will be leaving. If you have a problem with that then I'll just come back for my stuff later. I guess we'll see about that, right now we have a rescue to handle…"

"I'll go with you!" Mia announced unexpectedly, avoiding her uncle's piercing gaze.

"Mia…" Bonnie began.

"I know there's little I can do, but I can at least drive Elena's van." Mia pointed out. "If things go bad you might need to get away from there fast, and it might be a good idea to have someone behind the wheel and ready to get away from there."

Bonnie nodded, grudgingly accepting her cousin was right.

"Lets go then." Elena declared.

Before Samuel could think of anything else to say, the girls were gone.

"You know," Grams commented softly, still from the sofa. "If you keep doing as you have in the last hour, then you'll really lose Bonnie, only it won't be because she was killed, but simply because she'll be gone from your life."

"I told you, time and time again, that this wasn't the life I wanted for my daughter!" Samuel hissed at the woman. "Especially not after what happened right before she turned fifteen! She nearly died then!"

"Did you really think her magic would just disappear after that?" Sheila asked, bitingly. "Because you cannot tell me you didn't know, at that point, that she had been practicing the craft. With all the times she lost control for those few weeks…"

"True, a lot of things happened on those few weeks…" Samuel admitted. "Then, right when the situation seemed to have settled, she nearly died! I'm not going to lose another person because of the damned magic!"

"You didn't lose Leah because of magic Samuel, after all, it wasn't another witch, or a warlock, that killed her, it was a normal human, an evil, normal human." Sheila pointed out, somehow managing to stay calm. "Bonnie… she's much more powerful than Leah ever was, than I have ever been… and she's also much more involved with the world of the supernatural than any of us…"

"Which makes it all the more likely for me to lose her!" He was really about to go crazy.

"Samuel…" The witch shook her head sadly. "Don't you see? You're more likely to lose her, the way you are now, by refusing to accept who she is, and what she is, than to any person or creature that might mean her harm."

"I just… I said it, I don't want this life for her…"

"Like my grandbaby said herself, she's a witch, that's never gonna change Samuel. Accept that… or you'll lose her…" she sighed. "You know, when you married my Leah I knew you were the right man for her. I also always believed you were a good man, a good father, when it came to Bonnie; you've made some mistakes, of course, particularly since Leah died, but I never doubted that you are, indeed, good… don't make me change my mind now."

Samuel Bennett dropped onto the nearest couch. He didn't know what to do, he really didn't. All he knew was that he would wait, wait for his daughter, her cousin and her friend to return, with the two young men in trouble; believe that they would be alright, and hope that he would still get the chance to settle the mess that had taken place that night…

From her place on the other couch, Sheila smiled slightly, Samuel was stubborn, and a hard-head, but he was a good man; things would be alright…

 **.-.**

It took a while for the girls to get to where they wanted, it was hard to get the van into the Old Wood, but they didn't want to go on foot for too long in case the Salvatores were in too bad condition. Eventually, when the tugging on the necklace got strong enough, the girls knew it was alright and stopped the car. As agreed, the car was left running, with Mia behind the wheel, ready to step on the gas the moment it was necessary; while Bonnie and Elena got out, following the necklace to Stefan.

They found him a few minutes later, laying on the forest floor, with what looked like the branch of a tree piercing his shoulder and nailing him to the ground.

"Stefan!" Elena cried out, rushing to her boyfriend.

"E…lena…" Stefan could hardly believe she was there, though at the same time it made him extremely happy that she was.

"Oh my god… Stefan…" Elena whispered, horrified at everything.

The brunette made several motions to the spear-like branch, touching it several times, trying to figure a way to get it out of him; however, she doubted she actually had the strength for such a feat, and she was afraid she'd end up hurting Stefan further.

"Elena, don't touch the branch." Bonnie ordered.

With no hesitation, the blue-eyed pulled her hands back, at the same time as her friend placed two fingers on the upper end of the piece of wood, she muttered a word under her breath, and a second later all they could see was dust; Bonnie had disintegrated it.

"It was more effective than trying to pull it out." She answered the unasked question.

"Stefan, are you alright?" Elena asked.

Her boyfriend, for all answer, made an effort to take hold of her, but he couldn't, while the branch hadn't killed him, as it hadn't touched his heart, it was still wood, wood always hurt vampires badly; some trees actually hurt more than others, like oak, which most of the trees in the Old Wood happened to be.

The oak-wood branch-spear had certainly been enough to injure Stefan, badly, and Elena knew that unless they helped him in some way, he might not make it…and they hadn't even found Damon yet!

It took a couple of seconds of her mind spinning, until suddenly it dawned on Elena what it was she needed to do, it was so obvious she wondered why she hadn't realized it right away.

"Stefan…" She talked in a low, soothing manner. "Listen to me, we both know you're badly hurt, and we both also know there's only one way we can get you out of here safely…"

She hadn't even finished when Stefan was already shaking his head, he knew what Elena was thinking, and he didn't like it.

"Stefan please!" Elena whispered-cried. "We both know you need this, you need blood, and I'm willing…"

"No…" He managed to whisper in a hoarse voice. "Not like this…"

"Is this about what you said that day?" She asked, then closed her eyes briefly and added. "About what I did?"

She could only sigh, she didn't actually need Stefan to answer her, it was all pretty obvious. For a second Elena wished she could turn back time, but even as she did she didn't know how, or even if she would be able to actually change what had happened. While she realized she'd handled things badly, there were still some questions for which she hadn't yet gotten an answer. But that wasn't what mattered in that moment.

"Stefan, listen to me." She instructed in a strong, yet still soothing voice. "I know… I know I did things wrongly that night, I was an idiot, and a fearful little girl, and acted in a way that only shows I don't deserve someone like you."

"No… Elena…" He tried to shake his head, but even that was too hard.

"You listen to me Stefan Salvatore." Elena stated. "I love you, with all that I have, with all that I am; always have, always will. My love is something that will never be in question. Other… details, we can handle later on, after this situation is over. After you drink my blood to heal yourself, we find Damon, and then we can all get out of here. Mia is waiting for us in my car." She steeled her resolve. "So you better stop being stubborn and bite me already!"

Stefan still didn't like it, but a part of him knew Elena was right, and her words had also brought another fact to the forefront of his mind: Damon, something was wrong with his brother, Stefan had known that… they needed to find him, and the only way he would be useful at all, was if he was healed, which meant drinking Elena's blood.

Knowing she'd gotten to him, Elena pulled up the sleeve of her jacket, she knew that in Stefan's condition, and position, it just wouldn't be possible for him to drink from her neck, so the wrist would have to do. With that in mind she took a deep breath, braced herself, and held her wrist against Stefan's lips.

A gasp was the only sound that left Elena's lips when Stefan's fangs pierced a vein in her wrist. She could feel the blood being drawn then, it was a strange sensation, but not necessarily painful, and there was something about being able to nourish the one she loved, about being able to save him, not through her actions only, but by giving him a part of herself, that made her feel such joy in her heart, like none she'd known before.

Stefan could feel that joy, as his mind brushed Elena's as he drank her blood, he could also sense her deep, unconditional love for him, it was like she'd said, regardless of what had happened, it was impossible to deny that she loved him, with all her heart and soul.

Bonnie meanwhile could only watch from a side. She couldn't track Damon, because the moment she tried it, the pain returned to her, and if she did too many times she ran the risk of breaking down the block her Gram had built, which would only end up incapacitating her again, she couldn't allow that. Even with some of Elena's blood in him, Stefan was still weak, and after having donated blood Elena wouldn't be in top shape either, so she was, conceivably, Damon's best and possibly only chance.

It took a couple of minutes, but finally Stefan licked the small punctures on Elena's wrist, closing them. He wasn't very strong, but it was enough, and if he kept going it would make Elena weaken, and that wouldn't be good for any of them, not in their situation.

The youngest Salvatore got on his feet with a jump before taking hold of his staggering girlfriend; while he hadn't taken that much blood from her, she'd still gotten a head rush, when trying to get up too fast.

"Are you alright Stefan?" Bonnie asked, genuinely worried about him.

"I've been better." Stefan admitted. "But I'm good enough now." Before Elena could say anything he added. "If I take any more blood from you you'll be too weak, you might even have to drink some of my own to compensate. That is something I believe we shouldn't do, at least, not until we've talked about what happened that night." He kissed her softly. "I love you Elena, and I thank you for what you've done. I just want us to be on the same page, no more assumptions or 'going too far'."

For a second it looked like Elena wanted to argue something in his speech, but in the end she just nodded silently. They had other priorities in that moment, like rescuing Damon, she and Stefan would get the chance to settle their own things later.

"I'm sorry Bonnie…" Stefan whispered to the witch with a sigh. "They took him. I tried to stop him… but they used vervain on me, I was down before I could even warn Damon."

"Why were you even out here at this time of night?" Bonnie asked.

"I was hunting." Stefan answered. "And my brother was trying to convince me to… change my diet. With Pearl still in town he believes it better to be safe than sorry… and then, of course, is the vision you had in December…"

Bonnie nodded, pursing her lips, she knew that that vision had them all on edge, even if none had the slightest idea what it might be about, it was enough that she'd had it, and that she honestly believed that it was something coming…

"Where is Damon?" Bonnie inquired, pushing the matter of the vision aside. "Who took him?"

"There was a girl." Stefan answered. "I could only see her vaguely, weakened and half-unconscious as I was. But from what I did see, she fit Damon's description, of the inhuman girl he saw fighting that vampire, about six weeks ago."

"You said, 'they'…" Elena pointed out.

"There was someone else, a man." Stefan explained. "I have no idea who it was, though he seemed familiar, his scent, his presence…"

"Do you know in which direction they took Damon?" Bonnie asked.

"No." Stefan admitted, before immediately adding. "But I can track them. Unluckily for them, they didn't cover their tracks very well. Their trail is still considerably fresh."

"Lead the way then." Bonnie declared, adopting a very serious demeanor.

"Are you sure you should come?" Stefan asked his girlfriend. "After that dizzy-spell…"

"I'm fine." Elena assured him seriously. "Damon is your brother, Bonnie's husband, and he's my friend. I want to help, help him."

Stefan nodded, he didn't like putting his beloved in danger, but she'd already made him promise not to try to push her away, so all he could do was make sure it was what she wanted. With that, they began walking deeper into the woods.

 **.-.**

Inside a room, Damon was bare-chested, his hands tied, and the rope around him extended enough to go over a beam and be tied to a nearby column. There were scars all over his torso, pink angry marks of cuts and burns that had been caused to him.

At first, in a very Damon-like manner, he'd done his best to be sarcastic and annoying to his captors, saying things like: 'I knew you couldn't be human, humans have the sense to stay away from their natural predators…mostly' and 'Who would have thought the young teacher had a sadistic vein? It's always the quiet ones'.

That hadn't lasted long, soon the pain and the weakness made it so he could no longer think of anything to say, and the fact that he'd missed his meal that day wasn't making things any easier. He would have liked to blame Stefan, since he had missed his meal while trying to convince his martyr of a brother to stop being stupid and feed like was his nature… they had caught them both off guard. The only reason Damon hadn't gone nuts yet was because he knew his brother hadn't been harmed… aside from the vervain dart shot at him that is.

Then there was the fact that his Little Witch could feel his pain; Damon knew it, could sense it, he'd tried to block it, keep the pain away from their bond, but it wasn't possible. And then he felt the shields go up on her side, he could only hope that meant things were being done, that the cavalry would be arriving soon… and once they released him, he would personally teach those two, human or not, why it was a bad idea to mess with the Salvatore brothers…

"You should know, I'm not usually this sadistic." The girl commented suddenly.

It was the same girl he'd seen the day before the new semester started at school, with the white-hair, light-colored eyes, ivory skin, all three almost inhuman, and dressed in hoodie, pants, boots and jacket, all black. She was holding in one hand a wooden knife, while the other was in a glove soaked in vervain, it was how she'd been torturing him for the last hour.

"Normally I prefer to just slay the monster and be done with it." The girl added.

"Really?" Damon made an effort to give his voice some of the edge it usually had. "And here I am thinking torturing other beings was your hobby! I must be lucky then…"

"You have no idea." The girl hissed. "You, Damon Salvatore, have killed one person too many. Just the fact that you're vampire would normally be enough for me to kill you, but there's one particular crime you're paying for here, and it's the whole reason why, even though you will most definitely die, we won't make it easy."

"And who exactly am I supposed to have killed to deserve this?" Damon asked tiredly.

"Have you really killed that many people that you wouldn't realize who we're talking about?" A male voice asked spitefully.

Damon couldn't exactly move from the position he was in, in that moment, but he was quite sure he could recognize the voice.

"I haven't the slightest idea." Damon admitted, though with a heavy dose of sarcasm. "But you really have no idea what you're doing, when I get out of these ropes I'll destroy you, both of you. I give you my word."

"That'll be a hard promise to keep." The girl point out with a calculating gaze. "Since you'll only be getting out of those ropes once you're nothing but dust…"

"Even if I cannot get free, my family won't let you get away with this." Damon said with a small smirk, thinking about his rather unconventional family. "You have no idea what they are capable of."

"I know Stefan isn't as strong as you." The man pointed out. "And anyway, my quandary isn't with him. It's why we didn't kill him when we took you."

"Though I just might go back after him one of these days." The girl pointed out. "I really don't like leaving any vampires unslayed. After all, the only good vampire is a dead vampire."

Damon snarled viciously at the threat against Stefan, before smirking again.

"What?" The man asked, he didn't like that look on Damon.

"Who said that with 'family' I was referring only to Stefan?" He asked, still smirking. "You should have done better your research, before coming after me, after us. But anyway, I guess it's too late already, soon you'll find out how wrong you were to underestimate us."

"Yes, it's too late, for you!" the girl snapped. "Don't you realize it? They will never find you here. No matter who looks, if anyone is stupid enough to be looking for you."

"You really are nuts girl, but anyway, you'll see the truth soon." Damon declared, confident. "And for the record, I still have no idea what you're talking about…"

The girl was about to say something else when, unexpectedly the man interrupted stepping forward, fury blazing in his eyes.

"Liar!" He snarled, furious. "You killed my wife! You killed Isobel!"

Damon didn't get the chance to reply to that, as the wooden knife cut into his side, painfully, he could only groan in pain. The wood was oak, and it had been soaked in vervain as well; it had been bad enough when he was just slashed slightly with the weapon, to actually be stabbed… the pain was such that the only reason he wasn't screaming at the top of his lungs was his own stubbornness, he wouldn't allow those stupid humans to see him weakened. No he wouldn't. No way.

The man pulled the knife back out, which caused another groan; then, right as he made a move to stab Damon again he was thrown harshly against a nearby wall.

The girl was about to say something when she found herself against a nearby post, a hand holding her tightly around her neck, making it very hard to breath. It was a man holding her… or no, not a man, a vampire… the same one she'd had misgivings about leaving alive earlier.

"How are you back on your feet so quickly?" She asked with some effort. "The vervain, and the wood should have kept you out for much longer."

"Maybe… if I had been alone." Stefan admitted. "But I'm not."

The girl managed to turn slightly, just enough to see the older girl standing over the man, a harsh wind blowing the folds of her clothes and her hair around as what looked like pure energy, or small lightning sparked between her fingers.

"Stefan! Bonnie!" Elena arrived to the room right then.

The blue-eyed brunette stopped at the door, a horrified gasp managing to escape her throat as she watched the condition Damon was in, it was awful. Never, in all the time she'd had of knowing Damon (which, granted, wasn't that long) she'd imagined seeing him as he was in that moment. And then she noticed the two who had been doing the torturing…

"You…" She gasped at seeing the girl being restrained by Stefan. "You're Jeremy's friend!"

And it was she, Itziar Saltzman, which made the man's identity all the more obvious.

"Professor Saltzman…" She gasped as she turned to the man on the ground. "Why are you both doing this to Damon?"

"He has to pay…" Alaric declared, from his place on the floor. "For what he did to my wife."

"Your wife…" Elena repeated. "Isobel? You think Damon killed her?!"

"I don't think." Alaric corrected her. "I know."

Both Bonnie and Stefan were furious at the condition they'd found Damon in, and Elena understood that, but she also knew she had to stop them before they did something they would end up regretting.

"Bon…? Stefan?" She called softly. "You need to calm down. Damon is alright… well, not alright, but he's alive, and once we get him out of here he will most definitely be alright. I know how much you hate the Saltzmans right now, but killing them is not the way to go. The situation is delicate enough already without more unexplained disappearances or deaths…"

Both Stefan and Bonnie knew Elena was right, so, after some rumbling, they let the two human tortures go. Then Bonnie touched the rope, disintegrating it like she'd done with the branch spearing Stefan. The younger Salvatore helped her catch his brother before guiding him to Bonnie's neck so he could drink her blood and heal.

It took a full minute for anyone to react, not a word was said during that time. It was obvious both Saltzman were absolutely disgusted at what they were witnessing, the fact that someone was willingly offering her blood to save a vampire, and someone like Damon…

"Why are you even helping him?" The girl asked after a while.

"Because he's family." Elena answered simply. "It doesn't matter who he might have been before, what he might have done, he's family now… and we'll help him."

"You're condoning murder." Alaric snapped.

"You wouldn't understand…" Elena shook her head, she didn't see the point to try and explain them, they would never listen.

Eventually, Damon was strong enough to stand on his own two feet and snarled at the two Saltzman, furious. He held Bonnie against him, as she took a little of his blood to balance, even as he hid this fact from the crazy humans observing them.

"I told you, you had no idea who you were messing with." He hissed, full vampire visage on. "And for your information, I didn't kill Isobel… I turned her…"

 _And I still believe in the good_

 _And I still believe in the light_

 _And I wanna feel the sun_

 _I wanna free you tonight_

* * *

I know, I know... another cliffhanger. I have a feeling some people will be wanting to kill me at this rate... still, I hope you'll like this, and I promise better things are coming.

Also, for those who might be worrying about negative reactions coming from a certain someone due to drinking a certain other someone's blood... do remember I promise there'd be no Ripper!Stefan in this. I never liked that particular idea, it so goes against everything that Stefan was supposed to be, especially in the books (and I draw a lot of inspiration from those, as you either know already, or will realize sooner or later).

Hope you enjoyed this and see ya next update! (Please don't forget to leave a review


	12. Lineages

Hello everyone!

Now, this is a very important chapter, we have a lot of stuff happening here: The Salvatore brothers and the girls dealing with the Saltzmans, my own version of Bonnie's lineage (which, like I've said before, is nothing like in the actual tv show), and Elena and Stefan finally getting the chance to talk about what exactly happened in Valentine's Day (for that particular scene I recommend the song I Will Be, as sung by Leona Lewis). Also, I'm laying some groundwork for things yet to come...

Hope you enjoy and please don't forget to leave a review!

* * *

 **Chapter 11. Lineages**

A very vampire-like snarl came from Itziar's lips at the same time as Alaric collapsed back to the floor in shock, he'd just been trying to get on his feet when Damon's statement had caught him totally off-guard.

"What…?" Elena too was flabbergasted by that as he turned to look at Damon. "You turned… you turned Isobel Flemming?"

"Yes." Damon confirmed. "I didn't exactly want to at the beginning. The woman is nuts, absolutely obsessed with the supernatural, particularly vampires, and specifically those who lived in Mystic Falls in the 1860's. Attitude like hers… not a good thing. If one of the older vampires had ever heard her they would have had her hunt down and executed, along with her family and anyone who might have been close to her."

"Why?" Alaric demanded.

"Because you humans aren't supposed to know about the supernatural!" Damon hissed. "Because when too many humans find out the truth, things like what happened right here in Mystic Falls in 1864, happen." He shook his head. "And worse even, it's happening again."

"Do you really think the Secret Council's actions will call Their attention here?" Suddenly Stefan looked very nervous.

"Honestly, I don't know." Damon admitted. "They've never cared much about America or pretty much about anything outside of Europe, after all, the Old World is their domain. But still, if the situation keeps growing, it will put general secrecy at stake, and that will definitely call their attention. The supernatural world as a whole learnt the lesson centuries ago, when humans found out about witches and the Spanish Inquisition took place; not a good time to be part of the supernatural population…or even just a woman with too much spirit, knowledge, or both. The events of 1864 were already dangerously close to that…"

"You're lying." Itziar hissed. "Hunters/Slayers exist, if humans aren't supposed to know…"

"It's part of the balance." This time it was Stefan who answered. "Those families, they are few, and their numbers small, but they're necessary to keep rough vampires mostly in-line."

"True." Damon added. "The Old Ones can't hope to keep control of the whole world, regardless of how powerful they might be. Katherine's actions called enough attention, I don't imagine they're very happy with her, we cannot afford to become 'personas non gratas' in their eyes… we wouldn't live for long if we did."

"If humans aren't supposed to know, then what about them?" Alaric signaled to the girls.

"They know, that is true, but they've proven not to be security risks." Stefan explained. "They haven't told anyone our secret, and have even covered for us when needed."

"Besides." Bonnie added as she finally turned to face them. "I don't exactly count among the 'normal humans' number…"

"Bonnie…" Elena began, not sure if it was a good idea to reveal that.

"It's ok Elena." Bonnie assured her with a soft smile. "Maybe if they know who I am, they'll realize who they're messing with, and why I'll destroy them the next time they attempt to hurt any of you, or anyone else I hold dear…"

"Please." Itziar snorted. "The only reason you even took us down is because you caught us off guard. It's not like you would be able to defeat me in a direct fight…"

"Really?" Bonnie smirked in a very Damon-like manner before raising a hand.

In an instant the girl began gasping, clawing at her own neck and chest, yet unable to draw breath at all. She was suffocating.

"Stop it!" Alaric cried out, rushing to her. "Stop it, you're killing her!"

"Which is, pretty much, what she wanted to do to my mate." Bonnie snapped.

Alaric blinked slightly, not expecting that, before turning his attention back to Itziar, her lips were beginning to turn blue.

"Please!" He cried out.

With a sigh, Bonnie lowered her hand. Itziar gasped loudly before she began taking deep, irregular breaths; at the same time she held tightly onto her adopted father, she was terrified, in a way she hadn't been in a very long time.

"I'm not a murderer." Bonnie stated in a cold, hard voice. "I'm not a murderer, but I will do whatever I have to, to protect those I love. My name is Bonnie Aithné Bennett-Salvatore, I am a witch, mated to a vampire, all elements are under my command and I have already destroyed a dozen and a half enemies with just one spell. You come after me, or those I love, and I will utterly destroy you."

With that Bonnie spun around, taking Damon's hand and walking out of the room, out of the cottage, Stefan and Elena at their heels.

 **.-.**

An hour later the car stopped at the Salvatore home, Bonnie had decided they should better head there after the ordeal, mainly because there was a stash of blood for Damon to get stronger (though Bonnie's blood had been pretty good already), and after much trouble they had managed to convince Stefan to drink at least one bag so he would get stronger.

Elena had already phoned Jenna, telling her she was going to spend the night with Bonnie, her aunt most likely suspected she was actually with Stefan, but wasn't going to say anything. Jenna had seen how bad Elena had been for over a week, and that it was because of some fight with her boyfriend, if they had made-up then that meant her niece would be happy again, that was all good and well as far as Jenna was concerned.

Mia for her part had made sure to phone Sheila, let her know where they were, and that they would talk to her and Samuel in the morning. She really didn't think her cousin was in the right frame of mind to deal with her dad, and what with everything that had been said before the girls' departure to save the Salvatores.

That night was spent cuddling, as Elena and Bonnie reassured themselves that their respective beloveds were alright, that they had gotten to them in time. It was like Bonnie had said, they wouldn't let anyone hurt them. The young witch could hardly believe what she'd said and done that night, it was hardly like her, to be so hard, so forceful, but those two had dared hurt the love of her existence! She couldn't imagine actually killing someone, other than the vampires she'd previously destroyed… but she knew she would do it if it meant protecting Damon, Caroline, Elena, Stefan, Mia, and the rest of her family and friends…

Elena had decided to up her training again, and think of ways to bring down humans, as opposed to vampires; she'd never thought she would one day have to fight humans too, but she wasn't going to let anyone attack those she loved just because of a grudge. It was true that, at one point, she hadn't been exactly a fan of Damon, after what he'd done to Caroline, and Vickie, and who knows how many others? But all that had changed, he had changed. Damon Salvatore had become a good man (vampire or not), who was her best friend's mate, and her boyfriend's brother, and also a good friend of herself… Elena Gilbert would be damned if she let anyone hurt him and she could do something about it. Though, on the other hand, after Bonnie's 'warning', she had a feeling there wouldn't be that much trouble coming their way, at least not anytime soon… she could only hope.

Mia, for her part, had taken residence in one of the empty bedrooms, at least for the night. She really didn't want to go back to the Bennett house, only to be interrogated by her uncle. She knew the next day was going to be hard, she just hoped her uncle cooled down and took things slowly, because after what she'd witnessed that day, as Elena and Bonnie helped their vampires into the van, both sitting in the back with them, and just refusing to let go even though they didn't seem to be hurt by then… something told the young genius that anyone who tried to stand on the way of those two couples would lose, badly; no matter if that person was a friend, or even family, nothing would ever be stronger than the bonds those two couples shared. And Mia really, really hoped her uncle realized that before it was too late…

 **.-.**

The next morning, the five current inhabitants of the Salvatore boardinghouse woke to the smell of pancakes and coffee. It took a while, but eventually they all made it to the kitchen, the girls in wrinkled last-night's clothes, Stefan with just jeans and an undershirt, and Damon shirtless. They found Sheila making the pancakes, while Samuel put everything on the table.

"Dad…" Bonnie was shocked. "What are you doing here?"

"We have some serious talking to do Bonnie." Samuel pointed out as he put the coffee pot in the middle of the table. "But first, breakfast."

"Come on, children, there's enough breakfast for everyone." Sheila announced as she stepped forward with two plates of pancakes.

The Salvatores immediately took the plates from her hands, settling them at the center of the table, along with everything else.

"Sheila, you do know Damon and I aren't exactly children, right?" Stefan commented off-handedly as he pulled out a chair for her, and then for Elena.

From the other side of the table, as he pulled back chairs for Mia and Bonnie, Damon snorted.

"Considering that half the time you have the maturity of children, that's how I'll refer to you." Sheila replied good-naturedly. "Centuries of age or not."

"Ouch…" Damon placed a hand over his heart, pretending to be offended. "You wound me Sheila. And I thought we had become such good friends…"

"I have a very good memory Damon." Sheila reminded him with a playful glint in her eye. "I remember everything you've done in the last decades… the things my grandbaby convinced you of doing… like during that festival…"

"Not a word." Damon interrupted her.

"What festival?" Mia was the first to ask.

"Oh… back when Bonnie was thirteen or fourteen." Sheila answered honestly. "It was a costume thing, for children at the local orphanage…"

"Oh…" Elena nodded. "I remember that. It was Caroline's idea; for several people to wear costumes and animate the party for the children."

"Enough!" Damon half-growled, glaring at Elena.

The brunette saw his expression and couldn't help it, she laughed. When just meeting Damon the mere thought of laughing at him would have seemed ludicrous, but things had changed a lot since then. And Damon could take a joke, she hoped…

Bonnie couldn't help it, she let out a giggle, she remembered that time perfectly well, and the certain someone she had convinced of going as Batman…

"Oh shh…" She told him, getting close enough to whisper in his ear. "You looked so sexy in that costume. Too bad I was too young back then to realize it… otherwise I would have jumped you the moment I saw you."

Damon had no words to reply to that, the imaginary that followed that statement was just too powerful; for a second he really wished Sheila and Samuel weren't present, the others at least would have understood if he'd suddenly gone all caveman, thrown Bonnie over his shoulder and went to lock both of them inside his room for the rest of the day. But the adults were present, and they had to talk.

Once breakfast and the small-talk were over, the group adjourned to the living room, where Caroline joined them (Matt had driven her before going to work). Damon offered everyone drinks, particularly Samuel, and everyone got settled.

"What exactly are you doing here Caroline?" Samuel asked, brow furrowed.

"What do you think?" She asked in return as she went to sit with Mia and Sheila.

The couples were each taking one of the loveseats, Mia, Sheila and Caroline on the biggest sofa, while Samuel was left on an individual one.

"So you're involved too." Samuel declared. "But… you're not a witch or… or anything…"

"True." Caroline admitted. "But then again, neither is Elena, yet she's here."

"First of all." Sheila spoke. "I want to know what happened last night."

Bonnie's hold on Damon's arm tightened at that, she couldn't quite remember ever being so scared as she'd been the previous night; an instinct told her she'd been, that scared, maybe even more, at least once before, but she couldn't really recall it.

"It was the Saltzmans." Elena answered honestly. "Alaric and his adopted daughter Itziar."

"The history teacher?!" Samuel couldn't believe that.

"Oh, history-teacher by day, vampire-hunter by night…" Damon quipped sardonically. "He's worse at it than Jonathan Gilbert by the way… if it weren't for the inhuman abilities of that daughter of his there's no way they could have ever managed to overpower us… it almost makes me believe she's a vampire herself…"

"That thought has some merit." Stefan admitted. "We should probably look into it later. It was already suspicious when the pseudo-teacher left Duke and decided to come here to teach some high-schoolers history, and then, a few months later, a previously unknown daughter appears out of nowhere…" he shook his head.

"And lets not forget Isobel." She turned to look at Damon. "We really need to talk about that, about what you did…"

"Elena…" Damon began.

He really wasn't sure what to say, Bonnie had already explained to him how Isobel Flemming-Saltzman was Elena's birth-mother; it couldn't be easy to first believe her to be dead, and then know that, as far as they were concerned, she wasn't. It certainly changed things.

"It's okay Damon." She interrupted him with a hesitant smile. "I don't blame you for what happened. It was what she wanted after all. I just… I would really like to understand, what made her do what she did…"

"You wondering why someone would want to be a vampire?" Damon asked, furrowing his brow, not quite convinced.

"No." Elena answered honestly. "That part I think I can understand…" She directed a brief glance at her boyfriend. "What I want to understand is what made her leave everything she had behind; her job, her husband, her life… I mean, it's one thing to know a teenaged single-mother abandoned her newborn child; but for a grown woman to do the same to everyone who loved her, and everything that made her life… that I just cannot understand…"

Mia nodded slightly, she'd been wondering more or less the same. At least, on her front, she knew it was probably Isobel communicating with her during those months; she probably just never expected Mia to actually travel to Mystic Falls, or to get involved in everything that was going on in that moment.

"What exactly is going on?" Samuel demanded. "What happened yesterday? All this talk about vampires, and people who are dead yet aren't…"

"Should we even be including him in this talk?" Caroline asked, turning to the two couples. "I mean, we all know perfectly well what would happen if my mother found out… everything, who says it won't be the same with him?"

"The fact that my father already knew witches and vampires, and the supernatural as a whole existed… he just didn't know about my… our involvement in everything." Bonnie answered.

Caroline's eyes widened, she knew for a fact that Samuel Bennett wasn't part of the Secret Council, he wasn't part of any of the Founder's families, so how exactly did he know…?

"You're wrong on the last part." Damon pointed out, before adding. "You were projecting, I'm sure even Stefan heard that."

Stefan nodded his head quietly.

"But… but the Bennett isn't a Founding Family." Caroline continued her thought out-loud.

"Ah… but Samuel here is only a Bennett by marriage." Damon pointed out calmly. "He was born to a different family…" he turned to the man. "You were born a Fell, weren't you?"

Samuel's eyes narrowed, even as he nodded.

Sheila was the only one who didn't look surprised at the revelation.

"A Fell… like Logan Fell, and Tina?" Elena asked confused.

She was thinking about Jenna's old flame, the egotistical bastard, who had become even worse after being turned into a vampire… thankfully someone had taken care of that (even if none of them had any idea who'd done it exactly… though each had their suspicions). Then there was Tina, their classmate, a shy, awkward girl, the kind who usually go by unnoticed, except for the popularity her family-name gave her.

"Not the right branch of the family, but yes." Damon nodded seriously, before turning to Samuel. "Want to tell the story, or should I?"

"I'm curious about exactly how much of the story you know." Samuel admitted.

"Oh believe me, I know a lot." Damon assured him. "Very well, it was 1864, Honoria and Thomas Fell were two of the Founders of Mystic Falls, and the reason the old Church is known as Fell's Church… I think that was going to be the name of the town at first… anyway, they had three children, two daughters: Lucia and Irina, and a son: Hubert. Rumor has it that Honoria was wiccan, a… practitioner of white magic, if you will."

"Another witch?" Caroline asked, confused.

"Not quite." Damon shook his head. "She wasn't born a witch, but with enough effort and will she could do a few things, calling on the powers of the earth; obviously nothing compared to what my Little Witch can do, but still. Rumors also had it that her daughters were the same way… those weren't good rumors at a time when 27 vampires had already been found and supposedly burnt, and Emily was waiting to be burnt herself. They went after the Fells, the daughters in fact, since Honoria had died a few weeks before… probably killed by either Pearl or Katherine, now that I think about it, for her involvement with the vervain… Anyway, they found enough to condemn Lucia, but couldn't do the same to Irina, the older sister took it all upon herself, managing to make her younger sister appear innocent of everything. So, Lucia was burnt at the stake, she was one of the two to die with Emily that night, and Irina was allowed to go back to her life. Things weren't the same afterwards, obviously, from what I know her brother kept her locked most of the time, and most of the time treated her like she was a leper, or worse. Still, somehow, amidst all that madness, there was a young man who fell in love with her. He was killed... no one knows by whom, before he could marry Irina, and Irina herself died in labor, her brother took the baby in and raised him, but he never let that child forget how 'unworthy' he was of the Fell name. The years passed, and eventually that child left Mystic Falls, I don't think anyone ever expected his descendants to come back…"

"You certainly know more than I was expecting." Samuel admitted. "And I never planned on returning. I met Leah in college, we fell in love, married shortly before graduating… and then she wanted to come back. I had never been in Mystic Falls, but I knew that my family had always avoided this place like the plague. Still, I loved Leah enough to break that tradition, but I decided that if I was going to do that, I still didn't want to become the cause of rumors, the moment another Fell arrived in town… so instead I took my wife's name." he turned to his daughter. "I knew there was a very big chance you would be a witch, not just because of your heritage on Leah's side, but also mine. Since Irina, there have been few girls born to our family, and none who chose to be wiccans… also, my sister and I are the only ones who still remember the family history. When you were born… I knew, I could feel it, deep inside me. Leah always said that she dreamt you would one day be very powerful, I instinctively knew that for a fact. Still, I knew what had happened to Emily Bennett, and to Lucia Fell, and I didn't want you to end up the same way… I just wanted to protect you."

Caroline opened her mouth to say there was no way such a thing could ever happen, when suddenly she remembered the vision Bonnie had told them about and closed it again; the other four's grim looks told her they had all thought of the same.

"So if you know about the Fells and the Bennetts, you know…" Stefan left the end of the sentence hanging, though it was obvious.

"I know that you and your brother are vampires, yes." Samuel nodded.

"Yet that didn't seem to bother you as much as me being a witch." Bonnie pointed out.

"You're young, Damon is… decades older." Samuel admitted. "I thought it was just a phase, either yours or his, I thought it would pass…"

At those words Bonnie and Damon turned to look at each other, deciding how to answer to that. Since they seemed to be putting all the cards on the table already…

"It won't pass." Bonnie announced.

She and Damon both extended their left hands, willing their rings to become visible to all.

The silence that followed was deafening.

"How long?" Samuel asked, after what seemed like a very long time.

"A few months." Bonnie answered honestly. "Since the Winter Solstice, to be exact. We were hand fasted by Emily herself."

"For how long?" Samuel asked yet again. "A year and a day, as long as love shall last…?"

"Till the end of time." Damon stated.

"We're soulmates." Bonnie clarified. "There's never going to be another for either of us."

"Will you be turning her?" Samuel asked Damon seriously.

"I…" Damon honestly didn't know how to answer that, how to explain.

"We don't know if it will even be necessary." It was Bonnie who decided to answer. "Dad, you need to understand one thing. I'm powerful, very powerful, more than Grams, more than Emily, more than any other Bennett witch in history…" she shook her head briefly. "The point of all that is… I might already be immortal."

Silence fell again at that, and Samuel finished his scotch in one gulp; it was hard to process everything that he'd just been told. He served himself another glass, and drank it just as quickly, then, after getting himself yet another one, he sat down again and took a deep breath.

"I want to know everything." He announced seriously.

Everyone turned to look at Bonnie, waiting for her approval; at her nod, they began.

 **.-.**

It was a long day, very long… but also very productive. Everything was shared, or everything that was important at least; some memories, like what had happened in a festival when Bonnie was thirteen were considered as unimportant… for the time being at least. There were also some details that had been left out, like what Damon had done to Zack, Vickie, Caroline, and even Bonnie herself; after all, they were trying to get Samuel's understanding, not his hate.

The subject of Isobel had also been brought up. Damon had explained that after Isobel kept insisting that he turned her for a long time, he eventually agreed; he knew it was either that or killing her, since she knew too much, and since she'd promised to never make her research public. Which made them all wonder about the book Mia had…

Samuel could hardly believe everything, not just about her daughter, but about everyone else involved; the way the heirs of so many of the founding families were coming together…it seemed almost strange, and he said so.

"Strange how?" Stefan asked, brow furrowing.

"Well." Samuel tried to find the right way to explain it. "The last time anything big happened in Mystic Falls, it was 1864, right? And back then all the Founding Families were involved; and now… now all the families seem to be coming together, there's the Secret Council, and then there's your group."

"Well, in any case, we would still be missing a Lockwood." Caroline pointed out.

They all nodded with a shrug, it wasn't like Tyler was involved with anything, and they weren't about to pull anyone else in; it was already hard enough to keep Jeremy away.

"It almost seems like the buildup for something, that's all I'm saying." Samuel finished.

"But a buildup for what?" Bonnie inquired, confused.

"That's the question, isn't it?" Samuel muttered.

And it was one question they didn't have an answer to.

Eventually the group had separated, with Samuel warning Damon that if he was an honorable man he better make things right with Bonnie. They were hand-fasted, but that wasn't legal in modern America. Bonnie shrieked in delight and jumped to hug her father at that.

"What exactly was that?" Mia inquired, not quite following the proceedings.

"I think Damon and Bonnie are getting married… again." Caroline stated with a smile.

"Well, that will make the prevailing rumors all the more interesting for sure." Elena declared with a small smile.

She was happy for her friend, she really was, all she needed for things to be perfect was to get the chance for her own serious conversation with her boyfriend…

 **.-.**

Elena got the chance that very evening. Samuel was leaving for another trip that night, and he allowed Damon to spend the night with his daughter in his house, Mia would be spending it with Grams, which allowed Elena and Stefan to have the boardinghouse all to themselves.

Once they were all alone Elena guided Stefan to his own room and told him to sit, as she paced in front of him.

"I'm not quite sure how to explain this, so I'll just go out and say it." Elena declared turning to him. "I love you. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, as many times as needed. I love you Stefan, with all my heart and soul, that's never gonna change. I know I hurt you, deeply, with what I did on Valentine's Day… I didn't mean it, trust me on that, please. It's just that… I got scared. I got scared, and I ran, and that hurt you… and I'm so sorry…"

"What are you scared of Elena?" Stefan inquired, confused. "I know you're not scared of me, you've proven that plenty of times, particularly when you insisted I drank your blood to recover from my wounds last night."

"No, I'm not afraid of you." Elena confirmed.

"Then what?" Stefan insisted.

"Eternity." She answered in a barely audible whisper.

"What?" He didn't understand that. "Do you think I would turn you against your will? I love you Elena, too much to do anything you don't want…"

"I know that." Elena assured him immediately. "It's, it's just something Lee, Lexi's boyfriend told me, that night I saw him in Atlanta, when he was trying to kill Damon. He said: 'If you want to be with someone forever, you have to live forever…'." She sighed. "He became a vampire for that reason, so he could be with Lexi. Back then, it was just something I had been told, I hadn't realize just how serious everything was…"

"You don't know if you can love me forever?" Stefan asked.

"No, that's not it." Elena shook her head.

"Then tell me what is it?!" He practically snapped. "Please tell me already Elena and be done with it, because this whole thing is driving me crazy."

"If I'm sure of anything in my life, it's my love for you. I'm confident I can love you for all eternity, just like I know Damon and Bonnie will love each other, just like I know Lee will love Lexi… the problem isn't the love, it's eternity I…" her voice broke briefly before finally confessing. "I don't know if I can handle eternity… I just… Stefan I already lost my parents, not counting the ones who didn't even want me, I've come close to losing Bonnie, Jeremy, Caroline, Grams, Damon and you more than once… I don't know if I can go on like that. Keep living, knowing I will be losing everyone one by one…"

"Oh Elena…" Stefan pulled her to him in a tight embrace. "I understand how you feel, trust me, I do. I too have lost a lot in the many years I've lived, and it's hard, but it's because I have you, and Damon, and now Bonnie and Caroline and everyone else, that I can go on. And I know it'll hurt when, eventually, some of them are gone. But immortality is no guarantee, for all we know I could die tomorrow, or next week, either Damon or I, or even both of us could have died last night… you could have died last year…" he shook his head. "There are no guarantees in life. Immortality is a possibility of eternity, but not a promise of it. And I know I'll enjoy every single day I have you, whether they amount to a year, a century, or millennia, as much as I can. I'll never take anything for granted, not again."

Elena nodded softly, head burrowed in his neck.

"Still." Stefan continued. "I understand your hesitance, I think. So I won't offer you that ring again, not until you're sure it's what you want. And if you're never sure… then I will accept that. I love you Elena, and like I said, I'll never do anything you do not want."

"Thank you…" Elena whispered, holding him tightly against her. "I love you so much…"

Then, before he could say anything else, she took his face in her hands and kissed him, first slowly, tenderly, then more aggressively, possessively. They had been apart for so long, too long, not anymore. After that night there would be no doubt left of how much Elena Gilbert and Stefan Salvatore loved each other…

 **.-.**

Bonnie and Damon arrived to the Bennett home after dropping Samuel at the airport. He'd promised to be back by Friday at the latest, since they were planning to hold a small civil ceremony for Bonnie and Damon's wedding on Saturday at City Hall. After that, probably some dinner in a fancy restaurant or something like that. They weren't making a big production of it, but still, it would be far more public than their first ceremony, and legal.

There wouldn't be a chance for another honeymoon, regretfully, after all, it was barely the end of February, and spring break wasn't until April. Still, after that wedding Damon would be able to have Bonnie at the Salvatore home all the time, which was very good in his book. They all could hardly believe the man was so understanding after he'd pretty much blown up when first realizing Bonnie was, indeed, a witch. Some suspected he might be afraid of losing his daughter completely, with such a possibility it probably was better to just accept what was inevitable… take the good with the bad.

"I know you left out something when you were telling us about the Fell family earlier." Bonnie announced unexpectedly.

She'd just finished dinner, having reheated some take-out left from the previous night. She and Damon had been on their way to bed, when the comment just came out.

"What?" Damon wasn't expecting that.

"I don't know what you left out exactly." Bonnie elaborated. "But there was something I know, I could sense it. What is it?"

Damon let out a breath, he should have known he couldn't hide anything from his spouse. But thing is, what he kept out, was something no one but he'd known, he'd made sure of that, in all the time since, he'd never known why he'd done it, he just had…

"There was another Fell girl." Damon explained. "Lucia had a daughter, a baby, when she was arrested. I have no idea who the father was. Still, I took the baby, hid her along with Emily's own. Eventually I left Ava, Emily's child, with a cousin, I think it was a cousin… and I placed Lucia's baby with a family, compelled them into thinking she was theirs, and all that."

"What family was it?" Bonnie couldn't help it, something told her it was important.

"The Salanis, the family is gone, there's no one with that surname in Fell's Church anymore." Damon clarified.

"The surname still sounds familiar." Bonnie pointed out. "I've heard it before."

Damon sighed, he should have known there would be no end of it until it was all out; his spouse was funny that way.

"The last Salani was Ginevra Salani… and she married Joseph Gilbert, they were the parents of John and Grayson Gilbert…"

"Elena's and Jeremy's uncle and father." Bonnie finished for him.

"Exactly." Damon agreed. "Do you think it's important?"

"I don't know…" Bonnie admitted, biting her lip. "I have a feeling it is, but for what, or why I'm not really sure."

"Well, see if you find out…" he declared dismissively as he took of his jacket and boots, setting them aside. "Meanwhile, I have much more interesting things in mind to do than remember old history…"

Before Bonnie could say or do anything she suddenly found herself laying on her back, in the middle of her bed, with Damon straddling her waist, kissing down her neck… her shirt having disappeared at some point, without her actually noticing, the same as his own shirt; their pants soon followed.

"Damon!" She cried out, before moaning loudly.

"What?" He asked with a sensual smirk.

"Don't stop…" She whispered, before pulling his head back to her body.

"As my lovely lady commands…" He smirked, and then was at it again.

 _And I still believe in the good_

 _And I still believe in the light_

 _And I wanna feel the sun_

 _I wanna free you tonight_


	13. Truce

So a reader asked me a few questions last chapter, and since I was unable to reply through a PM like I usually do, I decided to post the answers here: Elena's ancestry is important, not necessarily because of that, but for the connections she has to others, and not only her, but Jeremy too. Also, remember that the Fells weren't witches, they were wicca. Mia is wicca, though she has a higher level of ability because she calls on Bonnie's magic to help her, and the only reason she can do that, is because of their own connection as first-cousins. About Caroline and Matt... that is indeed very important and one of the future plot-points in this story (which I'm sorry to say means I cannot tell you anything about it). Regarding Mia's research, it's all actually things Damon, Bonnie and the others know already; the dangerous part about it is that normal humans (like Mia was before her kidnapping and her choice to embrace her wicca heritage) shouldn't know all those things. Finally, about Itziar and what she really is... no, she's not a damphyr... what she actually is is explained in this chapter, along with a few other things about her past, and Isobel...

So yeah. Here we go! Bamon's (second) wedding... and a whole lot more.

Oh, but before that, there are two songs I think you might want to listen in this chapter, though they're only slightly mentioned, they're important and help set the atmosphere. They're: "I Do (Cherish You)" as sung by Mark Wills, and "Daddy's Angel"... I do not actually know the singer for that one, sorry.

So, on we go!

* * *

 **Chapter 12. Truce**

Next Saturday, the civil wedding between Bonnie Bennett and Damon Salvatore took place, with Samuel Bennett, Sheila Bennett, Elizabeth Forbes and Carol Lockwood acting as witnesses, while the Mayor, Richard Lockwood himself, officiated.

"By the power invested in me by the state of Virginia, I declare you Mr. and Mrs. Salvatore." Mayor Lockwood announced once they had all signed.

"I believe you can now kiss the bride." His wife added with a smile.

Everyone knew the smile was fake, she mostly didn't care at all about the wedding, except possibly for the gossip the whole thing was. The fact that Damon Salvatore, the very rich, handsome, charming, heir of one of the Founding Families, and one of, if not the most, eligible bachelor of Mystic Falls, was getting married, and not to any girl, but the eighteen-year-old high-school student Bonnie Bennett. Yes, that definitely merited some serious gossip.

"Well, I have to admit this definitely caught us all by surprise, Damon." Liz commented when her turn came to congratulate the couple.

"I know it seems that way, but believe me, it was in no way rushed, Liz." Damon assured her. "Bonnie is very special to me. We've been close for a while, became serious after I came back, and we began talking about marriage on December. Originally we were going to wait until she graduated from high-school, but… well, you know how gossip can be…"

"Yes, especially in a town this small." Liz admitted.

"Well, we had some trouble with Samuel at first." Damon admitted. "But eventually he cooled down. When he saw I was serious about Bonnie, he gave his blessing. I really don't like the fact that Bonnie has been called all kinds of names by half the town recently, so I decided to quiet them once and for all. I made the necessary arrangements and we decided to tie the knot a bit earlier than planned. We'll still need to wait until the summer, or maybe Easter at the earliest for our honeymoon, but well, I'm not really complaining."

"Well, I'm happy for you, for both of you." She turned to look at the others still in the room. "Maybe your brother will be next…"

Damon turned to look at his brother briefly, an arm around Elena's waist, he was kissing her hair; he'd no idea what had happened, when or how they had settled the trouble that had been created in Valentine's day. But he knew one thing for sure: somewhere there was a white-gold lapis ring, and it wasn't on Elena's finger… he had no idea what that was supposed to mean.

"Maybe…" He eventually answered noncommittally. "Or maybe it'll be your daughter."

He was, of course, talking about Caroline, who had attended the ceremony with Matt, she was in that moment embracing Bonnie, and acting like the thrilled best-friend (since no one knew it wasn't Damon's and Bonnie's first wedding).

"Yeah… well…" Liz just sighed. "Ok, I get it."

Damon just smiled at her, he just loved it when he got to turn the joke on the other person.

"Well, have a good day Damon." Liz declared finally. "And I'm really sorry I cannot join you for dinner. Work… well, you understand."

"Of course." Damon's expression turned worried. "I just hope it's nothing…too serious, is it?"

"No, nothing like that." Liz shook her head. "There hasn't been a problem like that since Mrs. Gibbons was found, and we were able to deduce she'd been dead for a while, probably a long while before she was found, so nothing really since the end of last year."

"Good." Damon nodded. "That's good."

"I guess you must be worried about your new wife." Liz nodded in understanding. "Are you planning on telling her anything?"

"No." Damon shook his head. "Not unless it becomes absolutely necessary, I really don't want to scare her needlessly, you know?"

"What would scare me?" Bonnie asked as she got to their side right then.

"The chaos every single woman in Mystic Falls is gonna cause when they realize you've taken me off the market." Damon answered charmingly.

"You've been off the market for a very long time, they just didn't know it." Bonnie declared dismissively as she smiled. "Now sheriff, if you'll excuse us…"

"Yes, of course." Liz nodded with a smile. "Have a nice day, and congratulations to both of you, Damon, Bonnie."

The hazel-eyed girl smiled at the blonde woman before taking her 'new' husband by the arm and pulling him to where everyone was beginning to leave.

"You know I know exactly what you were talking about, right?" Bonnie asked in a low voice.

"Of course." Damon smiled at her. "And really, it's not like I have to tell you anything, you already know, so I technically wasn't lying."

Bonnie giggled at how right that was.

"But really, I'm so surprised you told her as much as you did." The young witch said. "Even if it was the… censored version of things…"

"True." Damon smiled slightly. "You know, it's strange, I almost feel like Liz is my friend…"

"Maybe she is." Bonnie smiled brightly at him. "I like that, you know, that you get the chance to make other friends, that you can find it in yourself to trust others that much. It's good."

"It's all because of you…" He answered as he kissed her hair softly.

They finally got to the main entrance of the City Hall right then, their friends waiting on the stairs before beginning to get on the cars.

Unexpectedly, Damon scooped Bonnie in his arms, right before he crossed the main doors, causing the witch to let out a tinkling laugh.

"What's this about, Damon?" She asked, still laughing.

"I believe it's somewhere on the husband's job description that he's supposed to carry the beautiful bride across the threshold." He replied with a big smile.

"That's going in, not out." Caroline declared, giggling.

"And it only applies for the threshold of your home, Damon." Elena added, as she held onto Stefan so as not to fall, that hard she was laughing.

"Well, then I'll just have to keep doing it again and again until I get it right." Damon decided.

"It's not like I'm complaining or anything…" Bonnie declared with a smirk.

With Bonnie still in Damon's arms, and while in the middle of the stairs to City Hall, the two kissed, almost too passionately to be proper in public. Which was made obvious immediately by the obvious whispers of quite several people around them, mostly women…

"What's the meaning of this, sheriff?" A woman asked Liz.

The sheriff just smiled and shook her head, she should have known Damon would cause a scene, he really didn't seem to be able to help himself.

"I hope you'll forgive them the indiscretion, Ms. Brandon." Liz said with a soft smile. "After all, they're both young, and newlyweds."

"Newlyweds?" The woman repeated, suddenly very interested.

Just like that, new rumors began.

"You so did that on purpose." Bonnie said, still giggling, as they got into his car.

"But of course I did!" Damon answered brightly. "That old woman wanted gossip, so I gave it to her! Though I have to admit, I wasn't sure her heart would be able to handle it, the impression alone might have given her a stroke… or the envy."

"Damon!" Bonnie cried out in fake alarm.

"What, you know that display must have definitely turned on a few people." Damon wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively.

"You're so lucky my dad and Grams went ahead to make sure the reservations were in order." Bonnie pointed out.

"With my luck, your Grams knew what I was going to do before I even got the idea." Damon answered, still smirking.

Bonnie cocked her head to the side; she had to admit the thought had merit, and it would explain why her Grams had been so insistent that she and Samuel go on ahead to check on those reservations, when they all knew there shouldn't be any problem…

"Then you're really lucky Grams likes you." Bonnie decided eventually.

"Lucky indeed." Damon agreed, surprisingly with no sarcasm at all. "Your father on the other hand… I'm surprised he hasn't tried to stake me yet."

"He'll learn to like you… eventually." Bonnie said calmly. "And it's not like he doesn't like you, specifically; he just doesn't like the fact that I'm 'leaving him' so to speak, especially now that we're finally being honest with each other."

"Well, no one said he had to lose you." Damon pointed out. "I mean, yes, you'll be sleeping in a different house, and spending time with other people; but you already did most of those things. And it's not like I'm stopping you from seeing him."

"I know, he'll just have to get used to the idea." Bonnie said with a soft smile. "And a good way to begin is to not be late to the restaurant. The whole thing was his idea after all."

"True." Damon agreed.

With that, they were on their way.

 **.-.**

The restaurant was fancy, but not overly so, and Samuel had rented out a room reserved for special events; half of it was occupied by a few tables, leaving the other half for dancing. The songs were ones chosen by the girls and recorded in a CD made especially for that day. As beautiful as Damon's and Bonnie's first ceremony had been, they had always wanted a party like the one taking place in that moment to truly celebrate the event.

The arrangement had in one table: Bonnie, Damon, Samuel, Sheila, Mia, Stefan and Elena; In another Jenna, Jeremy, Caroline, Matt, and the Lockwood Family. A third table was filled by a few friends of Sheila's and Samuel's, while a fourth was left empty, since some of the 'guests' hadn't been able to attend.

Dinner had been pre-ordered, some of the best dishes the restaurant had to offer. And then Caroline went to change the CD, to one that had been recorded by her and Elena, but the first two songs in it had been chosen by other people…

"I think it's time for the new bride and groom's first dance." Caroline announced with a bright smile, from beside the sound-system.

With a bright, genuine smile Damon offered his hand to Bonnie, who smiled back at him, briefly remembering other previous dances they had shared. It also reminded her of something else as they walked to the middle of the dance-floor.

"You brought our song?" She asked softly.

"Not exactly." Damon admitted. "That one is in the CD as well, somewhere, but for this dance, lets just say I chose a new song for us…"

Bonnie couldn't recognize the song, she wasn't sure she'd ever heard it before, but the moment the chorus began, and Damon began whispering the lyrics into her ear as they swayed to the music, she couldn't help but love the song:

"I do, cherish you / For the rest of my life / You don't have to think twice / I will, love you still, from the depths of my soul / It's beyond my control / I've waited so long to say this to you / If you're asking do I love you this much, I do."

"I love you too, Damon." She whispered softly back into his ear. "Now and forever… I do…"

After that song was over, Caroline announced that next was the father-daughter dance.

"I know my initial reaction to everything wasn't the best." Samuel admitted as he embraced his daughter tightly. "It took me a while, but I realized that if I didn't deal with it, accept things, I would only loose you, and I couldn't have that. I love you Bonnie, always have, always will; even if you're a married woman now, you'll never stop being my daughter; you'll never stopped being my little angel…"

Unlike the previous one, Bonnie recognized the next song the moment it began, it was such a beautiful song… as the chorus sounded, and her father tightened his hold on her, Bonnie couldn't help it, she began to cry:

 _You're my little angel_

 _So baby don't you cry_

 _It's time to spread your wings and fly_

 _If there's one thing this father knows_

 _The hardest part is letting go_

 _But you will still always be…_

 _Daddy's little angel_

As soon as the song was over, Damon was by her side again, he waited just long enough for Samuel to kiss her daughter's forehead before taking Bonnie in his arms and holding her tightly; they began swaying almost automatically when the next song began, it was the one Bonnie called 'their song', though in that moment she was too lost in emotion to truly notice that fact, and Damon knew it.

"Are you alright?" He asked halfway through the song, when she finally stopped crying.

"Yes." She assured him. "I'm just fine, don't worry."

"I hope your dad didn't do something to upset you…" Damon began.

"No." Bonnie shook her head, while still keeping it against his neck. "The song just made me sentimental. It… it suddenly became real you know. I mean, I know we've technically been married since last December, but it didn't quite feel real. Every day I went to school, or to the Grill, or just at home, people kept calling me simply Bonnie Bennett; even when the rumors began, they called me all kind of things, but no one ever seemed to even consider the possibility that our love might be true. It began truly dawning on me when we were signing those papers at City Hall earlier, but it wasn't until that song, that I truly saw it. I'm your wife now, no longer just Bonnie Bennett, I'm now Bonnie Bennett-Salvatore…"

"Does that make you happy?" Damon asked softly, making her turn to face him.

"The happiest I've been in my whole life." She answered honestly.

And just that was enough to make Damon just as happy.

With the closing chords of their song playing in the background, the happy couple kissed with even more abandon than they had at the steps of City Hall; and there was such joy going all around that no one dare tease them or complain about the PDA.

 **.-.**

On Monday the rumors were found to be worse than after Bonnie had been seen by an old neighbor on her way to spend the weekend with Damon; but at the same time, her happiness about being legally married to him, about not having to hide any part of their relationship anymore, made it so the little witch didn't actually care.

After the last class, Elena was the last to leave the classroom, but before she could actually step out, she found someone blocking her way: a rather small girl with lavender-hair and violet-eyes dressed in a purple shirt, dark jeans, jacket and boots. Knowing the inhuman/girl was in front, and the teacher behind her, Elena reacted as she'd trained herself to, jumping sideways to get out of their reach before flipping backwards over a desk to put some distance, and a few desks, between her and the two Saltzmans; also, as soon as her hands were free she used one to pull one of her chopsticks from her hair, and the other to fish the vervain spray out of her bag; even if she wasn't sure how effective those weapons would be against them, she was sure the vervain would at least help blind them temporarily.

"Wait." Alaric raised both hands in a gesture of peace. "We don't want to hurt you Elena…"

"Well, you don't have a very good track record, let me tell you." Elena pointed out, her voice dripping sarcasm as she gave another step back.

"Neither did Damon Salvatore, and yet you seem to trust him." Alaric pointed out.

"He's family, you, on the other hand, are nothing to me." Elena reminded him.

It looked like the girl wanted to say something, but Alaric stopped her. At the same time Elena briefly considered taking out her cellphone to call for some help, but for that she would need to put down one of her weapons, something she really didn't want to do.

"We really don't want to fight Elena." Alaric insisted. "We just want to talk…"

"And you had to wait until I was all alone, and stalk me?" Elena spat, not believing one word.

"You're the only one we had any hope of being able to talk to before being attacked." Alaric admitted with a sigh.

"Yeah, well, and did you think what will happen when my friends and family realize I'm not coming out?" The brunette challenged them.

"If you just talk to us, we can finish things before anyone gets hurt." Alaric told her.

"The only ones hurt would be you." Elena retorted. "You really have no idea what we're all capable of, no idea at all…"

"I just want us all to settle this…" Alaric began.

"After attacking Stefan, as well as torturing and nearly killing Damon?!" Elena hissed. "Do you believe me naïve or just stupid?"

"There are things I want to know!" Alaric declared strongly. "Things I deserved to know. About what happened to my wife, about what your 'family' did to her. I thought you would want to know too. She's your mother, is she not?"

"Giving birth to someone doesn't amount to being anyone's mother." Elena answered coldly. "At least not in my book. And I know enough." She shook her head tiredly. "I really don't understand, you know? She left you! She obviously didn't love you if she didn't stay. So why do you still allow her to have such power over you?"

"Because after two years doing everything for her, I have trouble finding out something else that is worth anything…"

Elena sighed, she really wanted to pinch the bridge of her nose in exasperation. He just had to play the 'devotion' card; she'd seen devotion before: had seen Damon's despaired expression after Emily destroyed the amulet, his devastation after realizing that Katherine wasn't in the tomb, had never been; also, after his memories had come back, she'd seen the determination to save Bonnie even from herself, the absolute and everlasting love when the two had been hand-fasted, and his expression as they'd danced in their 'formal wedding', just two days before…

"Damon and Bonnie are really not going to like this…" Elena muttered under her breath.

Her phone rang in that moment. Knowing the chaos that could be unleashed if she didn't answer, and deciding that a stake wouldn't do much if a fight really broke out (if only because she didn't actually want to kill anyone), Elena placed the chopstick behind her ear before taking out of her phone, flipping it open and answering it, all one handed.

"Hey Stefan… yeah I'm fine… just got delayed." She answered. "No, don't worry. Nothing's wrong, I promise… I'll be with you in a minute… Stefan… I need you to do me a favor… Yes that bad… I need you to phone Damon, or go to him if he's still at the school, and convince him to join the rest of us for a talk with the Saltzmans… No, I'm not kidding… I already told you I'm just fine… There was no fight… Yes, I am telling you the truth, Stefan, I'm fine… I cannot be compelled, you know that, and they're not vampires anyway… Yes, I'm sure… I'll explain later… Of course I know Damon is not going to like it, that's why I'm asking you to please convince him… pretty please… Stefan, you know that for the sake of Mystic Falls and the secrecy Damon himself has stretched is so important we need to do this… We need to get this problem settled before it gets out of hand… Yeah well, I hope so too… I was hoping we could do this in that old property you showed me once, remember? That way we won't be overheard, and it's pretty neutral ground… Ok, I'll be with you in a minute… promise…"

With a sigh Elena hung up the phone and returned it to her pocket.

"Damon is never going to let me hear the end of this…" Elena half moaned. "I hope you appreciate what both Stefan and I are doing for you…"

Neither Saltzman answered to that.

"We'll be meeting a few miles south from here, near the limits of Mystic Falls, about fifteen minutes past the Salvatore boardinghouse, down a country road." Elena announced.

"You think you can get us into your territory, ambush us?" The girl challenged.

"Look, the only reason I arranged this at all is because Mr. Saltzman insisted, and because it's for the good of everyone in this town that this situation is settled before it escalates. We have enough trouble already to also deal with humans with grudges. If you think this in an ambush, if you don't want to go, that's fine by me, I really don't care. But know this, after today, you try anything at all against someone in my family… you'll truly regret it. What happened last week was but a taste of what we're all capable of… We all know you couldn't take Damon on a good day and without dirty tricks, and now we're all on alert so… do what you want. I did my part, the rest is up to you."

With that Elena jumped over several desks, moving by the back of the classroom, before reaching the last line and walking to the door, not saying anything else; though she still didn't lower her spray, or take her other hand away from the chopstick by her ear until she was several yards away and sure she wasn't being followed.

 **.-.**

Elena got out of her car, Stefan having rushed around at high-speed to open her door. There they could see Damon's Ferrari, with Bonnie and Damon already standing by some rocks of what had once been the Salvatore Manor. It was the place Elena had meant when talking to Stefan; while they weren't exactly planning an ambush, if things went south, Damon and Stefan knew the place enough to have an advantage.

"I really hope you know what you're doing, Elena." Damon commented with a sigh.

The brunette didn't answer, but truth was, she hoped so too.

A third car arrived, with the Saltzmans getting out, Alaric did a show of holding up both hands, empty, as if trying to convince everyone he wasn't going to attack. That still didn't make anyone else lower their guard though.

Someone was about to speak when a fourth car could be heard.

"I thought you said no one would come around here but us." Alaric said, turning to Elena.

"And she was right." Stefan nodded. "We're just missing a couple of people."

The car was parked near the other three, and Mia and Caroline stepped out. Samuel was on a trip, and Sheila was giving a class; still they both had knowledge of what was happening.

Mia had become a strong member of the group since deciding to become wiccan. Samuel had put a lot of old books at her disposition, and while she would never be a witch, like Bonnie or Sheila, she could do some things, even more than what the Fells of 1864 had been known to be capable of. That may be because she didn't try to channel the energy of the earth, or of some star, instead she channeled Bonnie's power, through the medallion her cousin had given her; it was easy, since both were already of the same blood. The growth was slow, especially since she was beginning her training so late in life, but Mia wasn't a genius for nothing, and she was determined to be a useful part of their little group, so she kept training, never gave up.

"You!" Alaric was shocked at seeing Mia there. "What do you have to do with anything? I thought you didn't believe in vampires, witches or anything!"

"Bonnie is my cousin." Mia clarified. "It's true I didn't use to believe in the supernatural; that was until I was kidnapped by a group of vengeful vampires. Bonnie, Damon and Caro saved me, they explained everything to me… oh, and I'm wiccan now."

"You're a witch?" Itziar's eyes narrowed.

"No." Bonnie shook her head. "While Mia and I are family through my father and her mother, I inherited my magic through my mother's line. Mia doesn't have any magic in her blood, but she can channel other powers to do some things. It's small compared to what the better trained actual witches can do…"

"What about you?" Alaric asked.

"I'm beyond anything you could use as comparison." Bonnie answered with no arrogance.

"You just say that so we'll think we can't defeat you." Itziar grumbled.

"It's a fact that you would never be able to." Bonnie deadpanned, then turned to Alaric. "What do you know about witches?"

"Very little." Alaric admitted. "Isobel never seemed very interested in them; the most she said about them was related to two particular witches: Nathair, a mythical witch of the ancient times who supposedly could control all elements and even life and death. And Emily, during the 1860's, who could control three elements, cast a spell that canceled the sun curse on vampires, and even bring back the dead."

Several eyes widened, even if Alaric said he knew very little, he still knew a bit too much for comfort, especially in what concerned certain rings…

"I don't know anything about that Nathair, this is the first time I've ever heard about her." Bonnie admitted. "But I do know a lot about Emily. See, her full name was Emily Bennett, she was my ancestor. I know the power she had… mine is greater."

Itziar snorted.

"Still not believe me?" Bonnie smirked Damon-style.

Seeing that smirk, they all knew there would be trouble. In a second, a hard wind began blowing all around them, stronger and stronger until Stefan and Damon had to take hold of the other girls so they wouldn't get hurt; the Saltzmans could only try and cover themselves. In a second the wind was gone as fast as it'd come and a line of water rose from a nearby well, to then fall over all of them like a light rain. That was followed by a rumbling of the earth beneath their feet. For the finale Bonnie extended her hand, pointing it at a nearby dry branch, lightning came from it, it set the wood in fire, which then Bonnie began manipulating, going as far as making it dance in her own hands, never once being burnt. Eventually she just closed her hand around the flames, extinguishing them as if they were nothing.

"Believe me now?" She asked blankly.

The Saltzmans were shocked, and on a certain level afraid, suddenly realizing how bad things could have been for them the day they had held Damon Salvatore captive; in the end the vampire wasn't really their worst danger, his wife was.

"I said it then, I'll say it again." Bonnie declared. "I'm not a murderer. The idea of taking a life, whether it be human or supernatural… I find it repulsive. Doesn't mean I won't do it if it becomes necessary. I'll do whatever I have to, to protect those I love; the people right now in this clearing being just a few of them."

"It won't happen again." Alaric tried to reassure her as soothingly as he could.

"What are you even doing here?" Itziar asked suddenly, turning to Caroline. "I mean, I understand about freaks banding together, but you're human!"

"So?" Caroline held her chin up, showing her dislike for the younger girl for all to see. "You think a human cannot want to be with those who are different? About being a freak, I think that you're an even bigger one than any of them, and you can even be human while being a freak, it's not mutually exclusive, or inclusive. And I'm not talking about your looks, or your penchant for dying your hair in all the colors of the rainbow; I mean the fact that you can hurt people you don't even know. Who do you think you are to impart judgment? Who do you think you are to decide who lives and who dies? You're not God…" she shook her head. "For your information, little brat, I may be human, but I'm not powerless. I'm a Sensitive, I can sense emotions, and power; I know that you have the power to take me down, but what do you think the others would do to you and your adoptive father then? I also know you hate almost everyone in this place, and you know what? I don't care, your anger does nothing to me. I've felt emotions much more intense several times before; your hate is nothing compared to some of the sadness, the despair, and even some of the joy and love I've felt before…"

"I'm wondering." Stefan said suddenly. "You asked Caroline what she was doing here when she's human. But Elena is human too…"

"She doesn't feel like a human… not completely." Itziar said. "She doesn't feel like anyone else here, or like anyone, or anything I've ever sensed before, but still, not human either…"

Elena's brow furrowed, wondering what that was supposed to mean.

"Maybe she's sensing Stefan's blood in her." Alaric suggested.

After what they had witnessed between Bonnie and Damon they had guessed Elena had done the same with her own boyfriend and that was why he'd recovered so fast.

"I…" Elena blushed slightly. "I've never drunk Stefan's blood…"

Alaric's brow furrowed then. None understood, if it wasn't the blood, what was it then that made Elena feel different to Itziar?

The mentioned girl meanwhile, was grumbling under her breath, scolding herself for having said anything to the others.

Stefan sighed, he understood, on some level, hating vampires in general, and Damon in particular; he had felt the same for a long time; he also understood wanting to take a stake at him, he'd thought about it at least half a dozen times, and had actually done it once, after Lexi's death… but he also knew Damon was no longer the monster he'd once been, he would have never been able to win Bonnie over if he was; and it would also destroy the young witch if anything ever happened to her husband.

"What is she, exactly?" Damon asked unexpectedly.

It was what most, if not everybody, were thinking, but none of them had dared ask the question so callously, Damon of course, would always be Damon.

"Itziar is completely human." Alaric qualified. "Even if not my daughter by birth, or even exactly by law, but…"

"My mother was a slave." Itziar interrupted in a cold voice. "A slave to vampires. They took a liking to her, kidnapped her and kept her for their own amusement for years. They kept other slaves off and on as well, though my mother was a favorite, she survived the longest. One of the other slaves was my father, he died before my mother even knew she was pregnant. They used to feed on her often, and since they liked her, when she began weakening too much, they would give her some blood to help her recover… before doing it all over again. That affected me, I was born like an albino, with extreme sensitivity to the sun, and a very hard anemia. I didn't understand just how different I was until my mother and I escaped one night. She died shortly afterwards and I had to continue alone. When I finally met other humans I finally realized the truth, I was nothing like them, I had to always cover my skin from the sun or I would get sunburns, bad ones, my eyes also hurt unless I wore shades, and I was constantly weak. Except when I had blood, either in food or through a transfusion, then I became very fast and very strong, very agile… A group of human doctors found me, they turned me in to a lab in West Virginia; I was kept locked, with tests being performed every day to find out why I was like I was, it's not like any of them believed in vampires. It took a while, but eventually I escaped. After a few months I found Alaric, he took me in, helped me. He made up a cover story about me being his adopted daughter and has even arranged for me to get monthly blood transfusions so I can stay healthy. So, when I saw all his research, and his tools, I began hunting vampires myself, to pay him back. It felt good, I was helping my adopted father, and at the same time taking vengeance for what had been done to my parents…"

"And you think every single vampire in the world deserves to pay for what a few rogue ones did?" Elena asked. "That would be like saying all humans deserve to die because of those who are murderers, or criminals… You cannot judge a whole race based on the actions of a few."

Itziar opened her mouth, then closed it again, speechless.

"So, why are we here then?" Damon asked, deciding it was time to change topic.

"I… I want to know about Isobel." He answered honestly.

It looked, briefly, like Damon wanted to mock Alaric for being so obsessed with his wife; but he still remembered how he'd been with Katherine, even if he'd realized he no longer loved her, and probably never did. So he bit back his rather nasty retort and instead turned to face the history-teacher/pseudo-vampire-slayer.

"What do I have to gain from this?" He asked. "How do I know that, if you decide you don't like the story you won't attack again? I'm not saying you stand any chance against me, even less against all of us; but it would be really problematic if there were to be another death at this point in time…"

"I just want the truth." Alaric said with raw honesty. "For two years I've believed that a psychotic vampire murdered my wife in cold blood. When I found you… all I could think was about getting the chance to avenge her… And now you tell me you didn't kill her, that she is alive, or at least not dead… and she left me, left me to believe her dead, to pick up the pieces of my life without her. I want… no, I need to know, I need to understand."

Most of the group couldn't help but feel at least some level of compassion for the man at that. In a way it was like Katherine… in a way it was worse. Isobel had been his wife, she had made vows, to love and cherish, to respect, to be together in good times and bad… and so much more. And she had broken those vows, in a way she'd broken him as well…

"I don't know why your wife made the choices she did." Damon admitted. "Like I said before, she was obsessed with vampires, that was never going to end well. She somehow found me, nagged me to turn her until eventually I decided it was the lesser of two evils. So I did. I actually liked her… somewhat, she was nice to be around when not immersed in her need-to-know everything… we were together for about six months, living in Boston. And then, one day, she just disappeared. I went to hunt, then when I returned she was gone, along with all the stuff I'd bought her in those months, no note, no nothing. So I left, I began going from one place to another, and eventually ended here, last fall. Didn't stop to think too much about her to be honest, decided that if she wanted to go it was all good and dandy; if she caused any more trouble it would be someone else's problem."

"Do you have any idea where she could be?" Alaric asked.

"None at all." Damon replied. "For all I know she decided I'd been her object of study long enough and decided to go find a new one. If that was it, though, sooner or later she'll find a vampire who won't put up with her obsessions, and she'll end up dead. But anyway, it was what she chose to do with her existence…"

Alaric sighed, before dropping onto the rests of what might have once been a wall, or a fence, or something. He looked so lost in that moment, and it reminded everyone painfully of Damon the night the tomb had been opened. In the end Elena couldn't help herself, she went to kneel in front of him, placing a hand soothingly on his knee, trying to convey as much understanding and comfort as she possibly could. After everything that had been said in the last hour, she just couldn't bring herself to hate Alaric, she doubted most of those around her could, the man was just misguided, and very hurt…

"Are you alright?" She inquired softly.

"No Elena." He hissed, before his voice turned depressed. "What am I supposed to do now? I mean, I've spent the last two years doing everything for her, living for her, for her vengeance. What do I do now?"

"Think about what you still have, the people who still love you." Elena answered softly, understandingly. "I know how painful it is, to learn you were abandoned by someone. I might not remember Isobel, but I know she was my birthmother; she gave birth to me, then abandoned me the next day. But I've stopped being hurt by that, because I know I have my brother Jeremy, and my aunt Jenna, and Stefan, and Bonnie, and Damon, and all my other friends. You have friends too… and especially, you have Itziar, it's quite obvious that she loves you. You're not alone. Stop thinking you live for Isobel, because she's not worth it. Instead, live for those who truly love you, and for yourself… it's the only thing you can do."

It took a few seconds, but eventually Alaric nodded. Not quite believing he'd just taken advice from a seventeen-year-old girl; yet she was wise for her years, she probably had to be, to survive in a place like Mystic Falls, and so involved in the supernatural.

With a deep breath Alaric got back on his feet, helped Elena to hers, and then went to stand in front of Damon.

"Truce?" He offered, extending his hand.

Damon looked at his hand for a few seconds. He didn't fully trust the man yet, but he knew a truce was preferable to a confrontation that might call a bit too much attention… he just hoped he would end up regretting it.

"Truce." He agreed.

 _And I still believe in the good_

 _And I still believe in the light_

 _And I wanna feel the sun_

 _I wanna free you tonight_

* * *

So... there's a truce... Damon might or might not end up regretting that one. In any case, it is important because despite how I might have made things seemed over the last few chapters... the Saltzmans aren't really the villains of this story. No, we'll get there, but since this fic was written pretty much like a tv-show season, I hold my cards close to my chest and do not reveal things until the last moment... Some of the things that are coming you might suspect already, though I'm pretty sure I can still surprise you at least a bit. Hope you'll enjoy all that's to come.

The scene with Elena jumping over desks reminded me when some friends and I used to do that for fun in middle-school... We were crazy like that... Also, I see it as a slight but important reminder that she's not a defenseless human. I remember a particular chapter in the second season, when she was kidnapped and she actually fought back, and for a moment I thought: Yes! They're going to finally give us a heroine to be proud of... and then she went right back to being the damsel in distress... I so hate damsels in distress... Might be why I came to absolutely love Caroline! Really, much as I might love Elena and the Stelena ship, I cannot help but think that the show destroyed her... (and turning her into bloody Sleeping Beauty... no pun intended... didn't help matters any!).

Anyway, that's that for now. Please don't forget to review and see ya all in two weeks!


	14. Lies Discovered

Here comes John, and he brings a whole lot of trouble. I would like to remind you that this John is much like the one we first saw in VD S1, with very few redeeming qualities, that might change, but just so you're not surprised by him. Also, we begin to see more of Itziar, more than just the facade she keeps up almost all the time.

I also think I should point out that we're past the middle point in this fic and, more importantly, this is the last chapter I wrote when I first began this fic, about six years ago or so (you might notice the change, you might not, we'll see). So, that's that for now, lets get on with the story!

* * *

 **Chapter 13. Lies Discovered**

Things were still a bit tense for several days even after the truce had been agreed. The group understood that it was probably hard for Itziar to know there were vampires and not hunt them, when she had convinced herself it was her mission in life to kill as many as she could; probably as hard as it was for Alaric to deal with his wife's abandoning him.

On a particular day, Elena was rushing to class, when she bumped into the younger girl, this time she was so out-of-it that they both fell to the floor, though Itziar almost instantly jumped back onto her feet and adopted a fighting pose.

"Hey, calm down…" Elena said, trying to be as soothing as possible as she gathered her things and got up. "I'm not going to fight you, ok? We have a truce. You don't attack us, we won't attack you, ok?"

"Vampires don't keep their word, ever." Itziar hissed in a low voice.

"Well, I'm not a vampire, neither are any of the other girls." Elena pointed out. "And Mia, Caroline and I are all human. Anyway, we have nothing against any of you. What you did to Damon before, you were just moved by pain and grief… it's understandable. I thought you would have understood by now that neither Stefan nor Damon are evil."

"All vampires are evil." Itziar insisted.

"There you go again…" Elena sighed tiredly. "Look, I know I can't make you change your mind about things, but I really wish you would give them a chance. Vampires they may be, but they're not monsters; and they're very much men of their word."

"Does your brother know who you hang out with?" Itziar asked out of the blue.

Elena's eyes narrowed, and this time she was the one unconsciously getting on her guard.

"No." She answered in a serious voice. "And I want it to stay that way. Jeremy has been through enough already because of the supernatural, our dad wanted to protect him from all this, I'm not going to be the one to ruin that." She sighed again and relaxed slightly. "Look, I'm not going to be a hypocrite and tell you to stay away from him. I know Jeremy cares about you, considers you a friend, and he has very few good ones. As long as you don't hurt him, or try to turn him against any of us, you and I won't be having any problem."

"What if he were to find out the truth on his own?" Itziar couldn't help but ask. "What if he were to turn against you on his own?"

"On the first… I honestly think it's something that will happen eventually, I just want to let him be a kid for as long as he possibly can; he's suffered enough already." Elena declared in a motherly tone. "On the second… I honestly don't know what I would do. I just hope he would give me the chance to explain…"

"You really love him, don't you?" Itziar asked.

"He's my little brother." Elena said for all answer.

The expression in the younger girl's face was a mix of wonder, hesitance, and the slightest envy; and it was then that Elena saw it: Itziar was an only child, who for the longest time had been alone, she had never had a stable family, and the concept was probably foreign to her.

"Alaric loves you, you know?" Elena commented suddenly. "Even if you're not his by birth, he cares deeply about you, as his daughter. I'm not telling you to forget your birth mom, because you shouldn't, she did a lot for you; but she did it so you would have a life, so you would be happy. So it's alright for you to do that, to move on, to care for others, to live and enjoy life to the fullest. It's alright…"

"How can you even think all that?" Itziar asked, she was trying to drown her voice in sarcasm, but the hesitance, the fragility was still there.

In that moment Elena saw, not the hardened vampire-slayer, but instead the young, vulnerable orphan girl who believed she had nothing and no one in the world… who had survived so much, for so long, she just didn't seem to know how to actually live.

"It's what I sometimes wish my mother might have wished for me when she chose to abandon me the day after I was born." Elena answered honestly.

"Wha… Your mother?" Itziar seemed at a total loss at that.

"I am adopted." Elena clarified. "Grayson and Miranda Gilbert, while they were my parents in every way that counts, they didn't give birth to me. Isobel, Alaric's wife, is my birthmother. She had me when she was a teenager and abandoned me the day after I was born with the Gilberts, who had taken her in when finding her alone and pregnant on the streets. I didn't know anything until last fall, and for the longest time I felt like my whole life had been a lie, because my parents weren't the ones I believed them to be. Until I realized I was the one in the wrong. Grayson and Miranda Gilbert… they were my mom and dad; Isobel might have given birth to me, but she was never my mother, not really. And even without my parents, I still have family, with my brother Jeremy, my aunt Jenna; Caroline and Bonnie are like my sisters, Damon has become like my brother, and I love Stefan with all I am, Sheila Bennett is a grandmother to us all, and Mia is a very dear friend… We're all family, blood or otherwise. Alaric and you may not have the same blood, but you're family as well, and maybe some day you'll find others you will be able to see the same way."

With that Elena brushed a hand on Itziar's arm in a comforting gesture and walked past her in the direction of her classroom, walking calmly; the late bell had long since rang, so being a few more minutes late wouldn't make that much of a difference; and in that moment she was just to lost in her own thoughts: her memories, dreams, wishes… It was true she at times wished that her mother had left her because she had to, because it was the best for Elena, that she'd truly loved her but the circumstances worked against her… but how could she honestly believe all that of a woman who had willingly abandoned a man who loved her with all his heart, and making him believe she was murdered?

 **.-.**

Elena was still mentally tired when she arrived to her home that evening; she had even turned down Caroline's offer for a sleepover, and it wasn't because of Stefan, she just wasn't feeling up to parties of any kind. She could have never imagined how much more tiring what was waiting for her at home would be…

She'd just entered the house when, even without being Caroline, Elena could almost feel the tension filling the house, it was that heavy. She found Jenna and Jeremy on one side of the kitchen counter… staring at none other than…

"Uncle John…" Elena blurted out in shock.

The man turned to her the moment his name was called, looked Elena up and down before turning away again in obvious derision.

"I guess I'll be going to my room now." John declared right then. "Jeremy, I really hope we'll be able to talk sometime later. You're sixteen now, soon to be seventeen, and there are things about our family you need to learn now, things your dad never got around to teaching you. I hope you'll give me the chance to try and do it in his place…"

"Please John, not that insanity again!" Jenna practically snapped.

"Insanity?" John's anger was quite obvious.

"Monsters, creatures that roam the night, really?" Jenna snorted. "What else can I call that sort of thing but insanity? And don't get Grayson and Miranda into this. Miranda hated the whole thing, and Grayson never believed a word about it."

"That's quite obvious, to have shared knowledge of our heritage, of our legacy with outsiders." John commented with obvious distaste.

"Outsiders?" Jenna rolled her eyes.

"You're not a Gilbert, not by birth and not by marriage, you have no right to comment about the Gilbert Family traditions, you shouldn't even know about them…" under his breath he then added. "Then again, neither should some others…"

Elena rolled her eyes at that, she had been able to hear, but she wasn't up to another fight with John, especially not with Jeremy and Jenna present.

"Jeremy, I still hope we'll be able to talk." John commented, ignoring the women altogether.

"Ah… sure…" The boy didn't seem quite sure what to say, but in the end simply shrugged and nodded to his uncle.

With that the man left, Jeremy soon doing the same.

"Well, that was something…" Jenna shook her head tiredly. "I really don't know how anyone can expect me to stand him for the next month, maybe even more…"

"Will he really be staying that long?" Elena asked, really not liking it.

"Honestly, I don't know." Jenna answered honestly. "One can never know with John. I blame it all on his taking the 'old traditions' too seriously. I mean, from what Miranda told me, Grayson always thought they were stupidities, ramblings of an insane man; and Grayson turned out pretty ok. Then again, John himself seems to be more than a bit crazy, so that might be the reason for his belief.

Elena had to bite her tongue and focus on not rolling her eyes, if her aunt just knew…

"Hey, I just realized something." Jenna commented right then. "John never greeted you…"

"Don't think about it." Elena tried to dismiss the idea. "He probably was more focused on other things, like his arrival, or being tired…"

"Hmm…" Jenna didn't seem that convinced, but didn't press on it either. "Yet another reason not to like the bastard…"

"Well Jenna, I will be going to my room." Elena announced right then. "It's already evening, and I've still got a ton of homework to do."

 **.-.**

The next day Elena wasn't the most alert in class, and when her friends asked why she had to explain how John had arrived the previous day and that somehow his presence in the house, and his attitude towards Elena herself had triggered nightmares, they were mostly about what had been said and done that night, the night Elena had been made to forget, but it deviated on one point, in her dream John actually got close enough to her to touch her and whisper something harshly into her ear, she had no idea what, couldn't remember when she woke up.

At least the tension at school had diminished; it seemed like Elena's talk with Itziar had truly helped, as the girl stopped looking like she might snap and attack everyone at any moment and Alaric actually looked relaxed as he taught the senior class.

Several more days passed, and finally it was the weekend again, Elena was getting ready for a particular date that night. It was half group outing, half date, since a band that the girls liked was giving a concert in Richmond that night, Damon had gotten them all tickets; afterwards they would be staying at a suite in the most luxurious hotel in town, returning to Mystic Falls the next day, most likely after lunch. At first the girls had been insistent on it all being too much, until Damon had shut them saying that the Salvatores were a founding family, which translated as: they were rich; also, it wasn't like the brothers had been sitting idle for the last century and a half, Damon was particularly proud of his investments, kept saying he'd always had a good eye for that kind of thing. In few words, they had more than enough money to finance their various interests, and if they were going to do something, they might as well do it in style. Matt almost hadn't gone, feeling like the whole thing was a reminder of how poor he was, until his girlfriend practically shook him and told him how idiotic it was to have a grudge on Damon for what he inherited, it's not like any of them chose the family they were born in; and if Damon wanted to use his money to insult them, he wouldn't be paying for everything for the trip…

The brunette had just finished getting ready, her attire consisting of black hip-hugging jeans, a dark-blue blouse that brought out her eyes, calf-high gray boots and a long light-gray jacket, in a backpack she had a set of pajamas, as well as a change of clothes for the next day and her bag of toiletries. She had just finished the last touches for her hair, which was up in a high-ponytail, when there was some knocking on the front door, Stefan was there!

Elena was about to halfway down the stairs when suddenly she could practically sense a sudden tension, at the same time she heard a voice.

"What are you doing here?" A voice asked.

It took a second for Elena's mind to catch up with what was going on, but soon enough she realized the voice belonged to her Uncle John, he was the one who had opened the door.

"You must be Elena's uncle, John Gilbert." Stefan said, much more politely than John deserved. "I am Stefan Salvatore, Elena's boyfriend, I'm here to pick her up. We are going with a few more friends to a concert in Richmond."

"She isn't going anywhere with you." John stated right then.

"Jenna okayed everything." Stefan went on, ignoring him. "My brother Damon is paying for everything as a little gift to his wife, he knows how much Bonnie, Caro and Elena love that band. We're getting back until tomorrow since we thought it would actually be safer, instead of driving back in the middle of the night…"

"I said Elena isn't going anywhere with the likes of you…" John began.

Taking a deep breath, knowing that what was coming wasn't going to be good, Elena finished walking down the stairs and went to stand in between her uncle and boyfriend.

"Actually uncle, I am." Elena interrupted. "Jenna knows the plan and she was very supportive of it. She, not you, is my legal guardian."

"If Jenna knew the kind of… creatures you hang out with she wouldn't think that way." John said in a very cold voice.

"You're really lacking on your manners uncle, don't you know the polite thing would have been to let Stefan in while he waited for me?" Elena unexpectedly commented.

Stefan knew what his girlfriend was aiming for, and couldn't help but think it was dangerous. They had just been able to make a truce with two vampire hunters; they really didn't need yet another one after them.

"Like I would ever invite him into this house…" John began.

"Good thing you don't have to then." Elena interrupted him. "Stefan was invited in months ago, and that's not an invitation that will be rescinded, ever."

As bad as an idea as he knew it all was, Stefan wasn't about to let his girlfriend stand alone either, so he proved her point by setting a foot across the door and embracing his girlfriend from behind, proving there was no barrier blocking his entry.

"You have no idea…" John began.

"Oh… I think I do, uncle." Elena actually half smirked at him as he said that. "And now, if you'll excuse us, we have to leave. Wouldn't want to be late to the concert and all. See you tomorrow, Uncle John."

With that she spun around, walked down the porch steps with Stefan.

They had just reached the driveway, the front door hadn't even been closed yet, and right as Stefan moved to take the backpack from Elena's hands she rose on her tiptoes and kissed him fully on the mouth.

A moment later, the front door was slammed close.

"Are you sure that was a good idea?" Stefan asked softly as they separated. "Not the kiss exactly, since I think it was great, I mean provoking him like that."

"Probably not." Elena admitted. "But I couldn't help it. He was being awfully rude to you."

"I can survive that." Stefan assured her easily. "I just don't want you to get in trouble because of me Elena… we don't know how dangerous he might turn out to be."

"Oh, I was already in trouble with him, don't you worry." Elena said dismissively. "Without you he would just have done his best to find another excuse. After all, 'I am not really a Gilbert', and as far as he's concerned, that's enough of a crime on my part…"

Stefan sighed sadly. He really, really hoped their little performance wouldn't go back to haunt them later on.

 **.-.**

That evening Jeremy was sprawled on his bed, going through Jonathan Gilbert's journal again out of boredom. He and Itziar were supposed to be hanging out that night in her house, her dad wouldn't be in as he was trying his best to re-conquer Jenna. Except Itziar had collapsed in school that afternoon; Jeremy had wanted to take her to the nurse, but Itziar had practically screamed at him not to, either she was very afraid of nurses, or she was hiding something. Six months before Jeremy probably wouldn't have been that suspicious, but after what had happened, first with Vickie, then with Anna; he knew things were going on around him, his sister and her friends were involved and hadn't seen fit to tell him anything… He didn't want to think of Itziar like Vickie and Anna, girls that had seemed interested in him and in the end were only using him: one for drugs and sex, the other… he actually had no idea.

In the end Jeremy had carried Itziar to her dad, half-shocked at how light and thin she actually was, and the fact that her hands were almost too cold for it to be normal… and her already nearly translucent skin looked even paler for some reason…

He knew the sickness was no lie, not only because of the things he had noticed, but also because Alaric too had canceled on Jenna, telling her his daughter had come down with something and he was going to take care of her; only he had made it sound like she just had the flu, or a stomach bug, or something equally simple and normal, and Jeremy couldn't help the feeling that reality was much different, much more complicated.

"Jeremy?" A voice called unexpectedly.

John, his dad's brother, was standing at the door right then, watching the boy intently, as if waiting to be allowed inside.

"What is it Uncle John?" Jeremy asked, sitting up in the bed, putting the journal aside.

"I was hoping we would be able to have that talk." John explained, still from the door.

"Now?" Jeremy finally shrugged, it wasn't like he had anything better to do. "Sure, fine."

With that, John finally stepped into the room, closing the door behind him, he went to sit on a chair after pulling it close to the bed.

"What were you reading?" He asked, interested.

"An old journal, found it in a box in the attic." Jeremy answered dismissively. "It belonged to some ancestor named Jonathan Gilbert… he wrote some heavy stuff."

"Do you believe any of it?" John asked, strangely interested in everything.

"Not really." Jeremy admitted with a sigh. "I mean, this girl, Anna, showed me a lot of news reports on the 'mysterious deaths' in Mystic Falls, going all the way to the 1860's, 1850's at least; I'll admit it's all pretty strange, even for a small town in the middle of nowhere. But vampires? Werewolves? Witches? I think that's a bit much. You've read the journal?"

"That particular one, I honestly don't know." John answered, taking it and looking through it. "But I've read the other ones."

"There are others?" Jeremy didn't know that.

"Yes." His uncle nodded. "Jonathan Gilbert recorded everything important that happened at least through half of his life, the later half. I actually wasn't aware that a journal had ended up here somehow. All the others are elsewhere; your father must have taken it for some reason I'm not aware of shortly before the accident."

Jeremy shrugged, while things had gotten better, in particular compared to how he'd been the first few months after the accident, he still didn't like talking about it, or even remembering it, maybe one day it wouldn't hurt as much, he just didn't know.

"In any case, I still think he was pretty crazy." Jeremy insisted.

"What if I told you he wasn't?" John's question was as sudden as it was unexpected. "What if I told you he wasn't insane, not in the slightest; and that all he wrote was the absolute truth, or at least, the truth as he knew it?"

"I would begin to think you are the one a bit crazy." Jeremy deadpanned.

"But I'm not, and neither was our ancestor." John informed him. "Jeremy… listen to me very carefully. Vampires, werewolves, witches, they are all real; they exist and they walk among us. And it is our duty, as Gilberts, to annihilate them. That's our legacy…"

 **.-.**

In another house, Itziar was laying on her bed, her inner-elbow punctured by a needle which was connected to a blood-bag. Meanwhile, her adopted father was sitting on a nearby chair, he'd just finished recording her vitals.

"You're almost back to normal." He announced.

"Good." Itziar nodded. "I hate being weak…"

"What I find strange is that you let it go this far." Alaric announced. "Usually you're demanding a transfusion the moment you begin to lose your strength, and yet this time… this time you let your abilities be lower than even those of fit humans."

"I was… distracted…" Itziar admitted grouchily.

"With Jeremy Gilbert." Alaric teased.

For all answer, Itziar flinched.

"You know, there's nothing wrong with liking someone." Alaric pointed out softly.

"I'm sure Miss Gilbert wouldn't like it." Itziar said as an excuse.

"From what you told me before, she said she wasn't going to be a hypocrite." Alaric reminded her. "She's dating a vampire, why would she have any problem with you dating her brother?"

"Now you're taking it too far…" Itziar said warningly. "I'm not interested in dating Jeremy, I don't even like him!"

"Yet you call him by his first name." Alaric declared. "Something I've heard you do for no one else… not even me…"

Itziar opened her mouth, a cutting remark already on her lips, but the moment her reddened eyes fell on Alaric's blue ones, it was like something inside her was suddenly afraid, not of him, but for him, she didn't want to lose him…

Elena's words of a few days before came to mind, and suddenly Itziar began almost visibly fidgeting, another thing she'd never done before.

"Do you love me?" She blurted out at Alaric.

"What…?" The man was certainly not expecting that.

"Do you love me?" Itziar repeated, extremely hesitant. "Honestly? Or is all this… all just part of a façade, a cover story…"

"Honestly?" Alaric repeated the question.

Itziar nodded, and then unconsciously closed her eyes as she braced herself, she didn't believe a good answer would be coming…

The bed dipped slightly right beside her, and suddenly she found herself in Alaric's arms, with him being mindful of her arm still connected to the blood-bag.

"With all that I am." Alaric answered softly as he caressed her hair. "I truly couldn't love you more if you were of my own blood."

"Really?" Itziar asked in a very low voice, not daring to open her eyes.

"Yes." Alaric nodded. "I always wanted kids, Isobel didn't. Then she was gone and I… I just lost myself for a while." He sighed. "I know we made up all this story, to give you a background, so you could have a life, but I honestly see you as my daughter Itziar… my amazing, beautiful daughter, of whom I'm more proud than words can say…"

With that, and not caring about the fact that there was still a bit of blood left in the bag, Itziar practically ripped the needle off her wrist and threw herself against Alaric's chest, embracing him fully, tightly… she began to cry.

"I love you too…" She whispered in sobs against his shirt. "Dad…"

Alaric's hold on her tightened even more at that. Never had he heard such words coming from Itziar's mouth, not her declaration, not her calling him dad, even with the cover-story, she had masterfully avoided calling him that at any time… and yet things had changed, and it made him feel so amazing… he wasn't completely sure why, but he had a feeling he had the Gilberts and Salvatores to thank for the change in Itziar, all of them…

 **.-.**

John had finally left Jeremy's room after a while, having left the teen to thinks things over and decide if he would believe, and most importantly, if he would allow the older Gilbert to train him in the old ways of their family.

By that point Jeremy still believed his uncle was more than a bit crazy, and yet, at the same time, an instinct inside of him kept screaming that it all made perfect sense, in a very bizarre way; and mainly, it would explain the situations with Vickie and Anna, and also what Elena and the others were keeping from him. Elena…

Remembering his sister, Jeremy made up his mind, after locking up his room, he went through the bathroom into Elena's empty one. He knew the brunette wouldn't be getting back that night, and he knew a lot of things about her she didn't realize, like where she kept her journal stashed whenever she wasn't writing in it…

What surprised him was the fact that the journal he found was filled up already, and it was the previous' year; which probably meant she had the new one on her. Still, the odd happenings had begun on September of the previous year, so he should be able to find out about it.

With that thought it mind, he locked Elena's door, sat on the bed, and opened the journal. He was going straight to September, until something else distracted him, the last entrance in May, about a week after the accident at Wickery Bridge…

 _Dear Diary_

 _So much has happened in the last several days, and I still don't understand most of it. I knew I shouldn't have blown family night, shouldn't have gone to that party. But I thought "We have family night every week, this party is unique!" Shows what I know, not only was the party like any other, I wasn't even enjoying myself. When mom and dad picked me up, I was so terribly ashamed, and yet they weren't angry, not really, I think they were more disappointed. Dad kept asking me why I had done it, and I couldn't find and answer to give him and then… we were crossing Wickery Bridge and… I have no idea what happened, one moment I was listening to my mom repeat how she and dad only wanted me to be safe, while I kept my head down so as not to see dad's hard expression in his face through rearview mirror… the next I could feel nothing except the coldness of the water filling the inside of the car. It looked like Mom had hit her head on the side window and lost consciousness, while my dad punched and kicked at the door, trying to force it open to no avail; I felt so dizzy and my head hurt, I probably hit it too… last thing I remember is hearing dad say everything would be alright…_

 _It wasn't! It wasn't alright! They're dead! My mom and dad are dead! And it's all my fault. If I hadn't gone to that thrice-damned party. And it wasn't even worth it! No… nothing will ever be worth my parents' lives! They're gone, they're gone and it's all my fault… Oh God, what about Jeremy? How can I take care of my brother when I can't even take care of myself?!_

 _I don't even know how the hell I'm alive! The people at the hospital call it a miracle, I call it useless. What good is it for me to have survived? It would be better if it had been my mom or my dad, or even both of them, at least they would know what to do, how to move on, and they would be able to take care of my brother, what can I do? Nothing._

 _Still, the fact that I survived bothers me, not only because I don't think I should have, but because dad was the one actually trying to get out, the car doors were blocked, and the windows refused to break. How could I possibly have gotten out like that? I don't understand. If someone saved me, if it was my guardian angel, couldn't mom and dad have been saved? Even if it was in my place? Oh God…_

The page had traces of tears, and in some points it looked like the ink was actually splotched because of them. Jeremy could hardly believe it, he had known his sister was hurt about their parents' death, but he hadn't realized how much she blamed herself for everything, or how unworthy she believed herself to be.

Still, at least for the time being, he decided there were other more important things. So he passed several pages, until he eventually reached the entries marked: September.

It was all there. How she had met Stefan Salvatore, her almost immediate crush on him, the party where Vickie was first attack by a wild animal, the night of the Comet, the arrival to town of Damon Salvatore, how Stefan had joined the football team, how she'd quit the cheerleaders, all the odd things that seemed to be happening, and then when the man who had claimed to have known Stefan sixty years before… after that:

 _Dear Diary,_

 _I'm not a believer. People are born, they grow old, and then they die. That's the world we live in. There's no magic, no mysticism, no immortality. There's nothing that defies rational thought. People are supposed to be who they say they are. And not lie or hide their true selves._

 _It's not possible. I'm not a believer, I can't be. But how can I deny what's right in front of me? Someone who never grows old… Never gets hurt… Someone who changes in ways that can't be explained… Girls bitten… Bodies drained of blood…_

 _I have to find out the truth… I have to…_

The next entry was longer, it detailed things she'd talked with Stefan, regarding the truth about vampires, and how Stefan had come to be one. It ended up with Elena's tearful declaration that, while she could accept Stefan being a vampire, she didn't think she could be with him, she loved him so much, and yet she still couldn't be with him.

There were several angst filled entrances after that one, most repeating over and over again how much she loved Stefan, how much she wanted to be with him but wasn't sure she could. And then, one in particular, from Halloween Night, called his attention.

 _Dear Diary,_

 _Today just has to have been the worst day ever. I knew Vickie wasn't going to make it as a vampire, regardless of how good Stefan's intentions might have been, and even Damon's, to a point. But she was a druggie, one who just wouldn't quit…and I imagine blood became her new drug of choice. I did what I could to keep her away from Jer, but my brother just didn't understand, didn't realize that all I wanted to do was protect him… and then Vickie attacked us, she actually bit me, would have killed me if Stefan hadn't staked her. I was in so much pain, and then I saw Jeremy and it only made things worse… wasn't it enough for him to lose our parents? Now he's lost Vickie too. And I know she wasn't right for him, still, it's not fair that he has to suffer this much._

 _I can't believe I did this… I asked Damon to erase Jeremy's memories, I asked him to take away the pain. I just… I can't handle seeing him like that, so depressed, so empty, it seems to be even worse than when mom and dad died. I really didn't think he would get over it, which is why I asked Stefan to help; he said he couldn't do it, his 'diet' doesn't allow him to use such powers, but Damon could. He compelled Jeremy, making him forget what happened tonight, also made him believe that Vickie left town, and that it's for the best. I don't know how Jeremy will react if he ever finds out about what I did, he might hate me, but I just had to do it, for him. He's so young… so innocent… doesn't deserve to suffer as much as he has. Maybe this way he'll be able to move on, maybe if… when he learns the truth he'll realize I did it for him._

 _I actually thought about asking Damon to erase my own memories, very briefly, but I considered it. Then I realized I couldn't do it, Regardless of how painful some things might be, of how complicated… I still love Stefan, I love him so much… and I don't want to lose that feeling; it's like, I would feel empty if I did. So I'll remember, I'll carry on with these memories, my own, and Jeremy's… I just hope things will be better now…_

After reading that Jeremy wasn't just angry, he was absolutely furious. So much he threw Elena's journal against a nearby wall before kicking her bed as hard as he could. He absolutely hated his sister in that moment. How dare she take his memories from him, his feelings?! How dare she?!

Still quite furious Jeremy rushed back to his own room, from where he slipped out the window; then, without caring about anything at all, he just began running. He didn't have a destination in mind, he was in fact trying to simply not think.

Eventually he had to stop, as his legs began to hurt, muscles burning after he'd forced them so strongly for who-knows how long. He screamed as loud as he could, letting all his frustrations out in a pained cry that echoed around the rocks framing the nearby falls.

Jeremy was about to let himself fall to the ground, physically and mentally exhausted after the long night's ordeal, when suddenly he became aware of someone else standing close, he spun around, noticing the figure as it stood beside an oak tree, the moon shining over hair, making it look like spun silver, and the skin as white as the moon itself; she was dressed totally in black, making her look like some kind of apparition, Jeremy knew immediately who she was.

"Itziar?" He asked, puzzled. "What are you doing here?"

 _And I still believe in the good_

 _And I still believe in the light_

 _And I wanna feel the sun_

 _I wanna free you tonight_


	15. Truths Revealed

Here we are. So, I'm sure if you would have realized this already or not, but Jeremy's reaction to everything will be quite different here than it was in canon. On the one hand because I didn't much like how things went in canon and on the other because this one fits what I have planned better.

Also, things will be moving a bit faster from this point on, as we approach the climax of the story. I've been toying with the idea of posting updates faster (every week instead of every other week), but am not sure if people are really interested (haven't gotten that many reviews, really). So, what do you think? Also, any guesses on what's to come? I'm curious if anyone can really guess my plans going by what I've done thus far.

So, that's that, and here is the latest chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 14. Truths Revealed**

After the transfusions, and the rather cathartic talk between father and daughter, Alaric had gone to sleep, exhausted, Itziar for her part had been too full of energy to even lay still for too long. It was always like that after getting a transfusion, like the blood had pumped new energy into every inch of her body; usually she would use that energy to go on a hunting spree, but after the talks with the Salvatores, Elena Gilbert and the rest of their group, and even her adopted father, she'd begun thinking twice about what she did. What if she was killing innocents? How many people had she actually hurt in her ignorance? True, it was more than likely that most of the vampires she'd hunted had been monsters, but what if not all of them were? What if at least one of them was like Stefan Salvatore, feeding on animals, trying to do the best of his existence without hurting others? Or what if one was like Damon Salvatore, someone who had killed, who had hurt, and yet had the potential to be so much more? And what if it wasn't just one, but more? It wasn't just that either, how many of those vampires had had people who cared for them, whom they cared for, how many had she hurt by hunting down vampires without even stopping to make sure they were actually a menace?

Itziar really didn't like second-guessing herself. For her whole life there had been one absolute truth in her life: vampires were monsters. It was what had made her decide to hunt them when realizing something good could be done with her so-greatly-despised abilities. She hated how she was so different from humans, it was a permanent reminder of the vampires who had hurt her, and especially her mom, for so long; but especially, she despised the fact that everyone could see that she was different, with her extremely pale skin, white hair and almost-red eyes, even the excuse of being albino wasn't enough to stop others from staring, from whispering, it was just awful.

Since she still had energy to burn, in the end Itziar just decided to run it off. So she had made her way through the Old Wood, a place she had gotten to know pretty well during previous hunting trips. She wasn't sure how, but eventually her feet took her pretty close to the Falls. She hadn't been there, or anywhere actually close to the place, since Jeremy Gilbert had taken her there.

Jeremy Gilbert… that was another can full of worms as far as she was concerned. Itziar had never before connected to anyone in her life; though that might be because she had spent her infancy and a good deal of her childhood as a slave to vampires; a total of a year as a lab-rat in a secret hospital/laboratory/military bunker; and the rest of the time, before and after that experience, on the run. She hadn't stayed any place longer than absolutely necessary before moving to Mystic Falls. She hadn't had any friends, not even any acquaintances before Jeremy Gilbert; which might explain why she'd become so attached to him… it obviously didn't explain why he seemed as attached to her.

Itziar was still running when, unexpectedly, a loud cry was heard, so full of pain and despair she couldn't help but freeze on the spot. She knew who that voice belonged to, and without stopping to think about it, she followed the echoes of the voice, to none other than Jeremy Gilbert, who was in that moment looking like he would fall over at any moment.

Itziar was torn between approaching him and trying to help some way, and just turning around and leaving, when he somehow became aware of her presence, spinning around and staring straight in her direction.

Knowing it was futile to hide, Itziar step out from behind a tree, her white-blonde hair shining beneath the moonlight, the first time she'd allowed anyone to see her without any dye; as much as she knew some people thought her crazy for all the colors she would dye her hair with, it still seemed better than they all knowing her hair had no actual color at all; at least when she dyed her hair she could let them believe it was some other color originally… some more natural color… she also wasn't wearing her shades, and her eyes looked more red than violet at the moment, the paleness and near-translucency of her skin even more evident with her black-denim shorts, flats and sleeveless-top; she hadn't planned on meeting anyone, so she hadn't covered up as much as she usually did, and despite it still being only the first half of march, the night was considerably warm.

"Itziar?" She only half heard Jeremy ask, obvious puzzlement in both his voice and his expression. "What are you doing here?"

Itziar didn't know how to answer that and for the longest time she didn't say anything. It was then that Jeremy noticed some things: like the lack of color in her hair, the translucence of her skin, the crimson shade to her eyes...

"You too?!" He practically screamed at her.

He wanted to sound demanding, livid, strong... instead there was so much despair in his voice. Itziar didn't even stop to think about it anymore, she threw herself at Jeremy, holding him tight in her arms. Even when he tried to shake her off, to push her away; when she went as far as trying to hit her, she was much too strong for him.

It took a while, but eventually Jeremy accepted that she wasn't letting go. And then it was as if that realization had flipped some kind of switch in him, as he stopped trying to fight Itziar off and instead held onto her as tightly as he could, as words began pouring out of his mouth, everything he'd been through, and all he'd just found out, all the things he knew, and specially, all he couldn't remember...

 **.-.**

Jeremy and Itziar weren't the only teenagers taking 'midnight walks' as it were, that particular Friday night. Mia herself was taking a walk as she tried to force herself to make a decision regarding her future. It was something she'd been postponing for a while, ever since finding out there was no such thing as a 'mass-delusion', that there truly were such creatures... beings as vampires, and witches... and possibly werewolves and a bunch of others too.

That still left her thesis... Uncle Samuel had told her that she could still change her mind, maybe take some time off and start over... Mia was beginning to consider another option: it was absolutely insane, and she knew that, but what if...? She'd heard Damon talk about the risk of too many humans finding out about the supernatural, his fear about what certain individuals with power might do... what if she could help with that? If she could finish her thesis and get it published; make public the idea of magic and everything else supernatural being nothing more than product of shared-delusions and mass-hysteria... would that help them? Would that stop her cousin and all her new friends from being at risk?

Mia knew it was risky business. If she failed, it wouldn't be just her degree on the line, it could very well be her life, and that of everyone she cared for. And if she succeeded... that might just be even more dangerous. Because who knew how some of the supernatural beings might react to a human publicly stating they were not real. While some might see the advantage of it, others might take it as a challenge; might move against her. And aside from the risk to her life and that of everyone else around her... it might create a situation that would bring about the supernatural being discovered, instead of the opposite.

So, it was most definitely a complicated matter, and one she'd probably have to talk about with her whole family (by blood, and marriage and choice) because making any decisions. Still, it was her nature to think things over and over and she just couldn't stop doing it, even when she knew the choice wasn't just hers to make.

The young woman was a tad distracted, enough she didn't realize there was someone on her path until they crashed. Even if she was wiccan she'd proven to be no good when trying to train with Elena and Bonnie at fighting, even Caroline had better physical condition than her; even then, she at least had good balance, which was how she stopped herself from falling to the pavement. The one she'd crashed against, while he was clearly a jock (Mia might not be much for sports, but she certainly wasn't blind), wasn't quite so quick on his feet, he went down hard; though that might have been due to the alcohol Mia could smell on him.

"Watch where you're going, bitch!" The boy snapped at her.

"Excuse me?" Mia then shook her head and revised. "Excuse you! You're the one who crashed against me."

"Do you know who I am?!" The (clearly drunk) teenager practically roared.

"No." Mia shrugged, uncaring. "And I don't care."

"You..." The boy began, getting dangerously close to Mia, hands fisted.

Finally, Mia was beginning to realize how dangerous it all was. The one before her was no vampire, or anything else supernatural, just a silly boy who'd had too much to drink... and who apparently was the kind to get violent when he did. Not a good combination. Mia was quite aware of what her chances were against someone of his size; and she couldn't use her magic against someone who was human...

Mia was beginning to consider actually trying to run away from the jock when a young man moved past her, pulling the other boy away from her and practically throwing him a couple of yards or so away.

"...go walk it off!"

As the shock began wearing off Mia manage to catch the end of whatever it was her savior had been telling the other young man.

"Are you alright?" Her savior asked, looking straight at her.

Slowly Mia realized there were actually a few people looking at her; and that she was standing right outside of the Grill.

"Miss..." He insisted.

"Yes, yes I'm fine." She finally assured him. "He didn't touch me. I was just surprised." She became a bit sheepish as she added. "It was all a bit my fault, I think. I was distracted, wasn't seeing where I was going and then we crashed."

"An accident is no excuse for Greg, or anyone else, to threaten a girl." The young man insisted. "He just gets a bit stupid when he's drunk."

Mia didn't point out that he shouldn't be drunk at all, she doubted he was even 21... then again, that wasn't her problem.

"I'm Tyler Lockwood." He stated right then. "And I don't think I've ever seen you before. Are you a new student?"

She didn't point out that the middle of March was hardly the moment for a new student to arrive. Something told her that wasn't really important.

"I'm Mia Rosenberg and..." She began, before being abruptly interrupted.

So busy had been Tyler trying to find out who the pretty new girl was that she didn't notice when Greg got back on his feet and, instead of walking away, turned straight at him. A fight broke out between the two football players, and no matter how many times Mia tried to use words to get them to stop, nothing seemed to be enough. The whole thing went on until Greg bypassed Tyler and went straight at Mia, who let out a squeak in surprise and a hint of fear as Greg took hold of her by the clothes.

"Don't you dare put your hands on her!" Tyler barked at him.

He pulled the other (taller) highschooler off Mia, spinning him around before delivering a right hook that effectively knocked Greg out.

"Oh..." Mia gasped in shock at that.

By that point more teenagers had come out of the restaurant; some to see what was going on, others to try and help. A couple of footballers approached then, picking up the unconscious Greg and putting him on the back of one of their vans so they might take him home. No one dared approach Tyler, though, no one except Mia...

"Mr. Lockwood...?" She called, approaching slowly.

He turned in her direction abruptly, staring at her with such a sharp look she felt like she couldn't quite breathe... also, for a fraction of a second, she could have sworn there was some yellow in his eyes...

"Are you alright?" She was really worried for him. "Mr. Lockwood...?"

"I'm just fine." He nodded, blinking a few times rapidly, before fixing his dark brown eyes on her. "And please, it's Tyler. Mr. Lockwood is my father."

"I suppose you may call me Mia then." She nodded at him.

"I believe we were talking, before being so rudely interrupted." He stated in a deep tone. "You were telling me how I could have possibly missed such a gorgeous girl walking around Mystic Falls for... who knows how long?"

"Oh please!" Mia couldn't help but blush at the off-handed compliment. "I've been in town for a few weeks." a little over two months, in fact, but who was counting? "I'm visiting some family, the Bennetts... And I don't attend high-school. I've already graduated."

She decided to forego telling him about her bachelor's degree. Most jocks didn't take well to a seventeen-year-old being a genius; and while Tyler might be acting very... gallant in that moment, that didn't mean he wouldn't begin humiliating her for whatever the reason at any moment... it'd happened before. There was a reason why she didn't have a boyfriend, why she had never gone on more than one date with anyone... ever.

"Bennetts...?" He repeated, obviously not having expecting that. "You related to Bonnie?"

"She's my cousin." Mia nodded.

Tyler nodded at her, then turned to a side and nodded a bit more, though she wasn't sure quite why, until he turned back to her.

"I know where Bonnie lives... or used to live, I suppose." He shrugged. "Want me to give you a ride?"

There was some whistling behind them, from a few others who appeared to have drunk the kind of drinks that shouldn't have been available to those their age... Mia actually heard some rather racy words being said, just a second before Tyler picked a stone from the ground, turned around sharply and threw it. They could all hear as it connected against something, a sound that was followed by a pained groan and cursing.

"Idiots!" He yelled at the others for good measure.

For the second time Mia thought she could see some yellow in his eyes, though it was gone even faster than the first time so she wasn't quite sure if it was real or she'd just imagined it.

"I promise to be a complete gentleman." He assured her, waving in the direction of his pick-up. "Can also assure you I'm perfectly sober... would offer to prove it to you, but seeing how I had some onions rings earlier, I don't think that's really a good idea..."

Mia couldn't help it, she laughed. She wasn't sure if it was a result of how nervous everything that had just happened had made her, if it was Tyler, or something else entirely. She just couldn't help herself and laughed. Thankfully, whatever it was, the boy seemed to have some humor in the situation as well, for he began laughing too.

"I would love a ride." Mia agreed when she finally managed to stop laughing, valiantly ignoring the whistling and commenting from the peanut gallery.

Mia had never gotten on a vehicle alone with a boy, never imagined a day when she might want to... then again, before arriving to Mystic Falls she'd never driven a get-away car, been kidnapped, been taken running faster than most cars went, never imagined things like magic and vampires could ever exist... She wasn't the same Mia she'd been just three months before, and that was just fine with her. Life had never been so good for her...

 **.-.**

The first rays of the sun were beginning to peak over the horizon, throwing small rainbows as they went through the falls a few yards away from where the two teenagers sat. They'd spent the whole night talking. Itziar wasn't even sure why, but she'd revealed her whole story to Jeremy that night, all of it; even the things no one but Alaric knew about. She'd even told him about how she'd met the Salvatores, Bonnie, Elena, Caroline... she didn't see any wrong, he already knew about them.

Jeremy didn't know how it happened, or why exactly, but at some point during the night he realized he no longer hated what his sister had done to him (or had convinced someone else to do to him), he didn't hate her for it. He might not understand why she'd done it; but then again, she'd described him, how he'd been back then... he couldn't remember. He remembered being hurt, yes; but he didn't remember it being so bad... then again, that was the point.

"It's just..." he said at some point. "She did this to me, or Damon did this to me, whatever. The point is, I didn't choose to forget."

"No, you didn't." Itziar agreed. "And maybe it was wrong for Elena to take the choice out of your hands. But I think she did it because she loved you..." she snorted quietly. "Love... until recently I thought it was nothing but a lie... either that or a weakness. Love didn't save my mother, or my father, didn't keep me safe... but I know now that Alaric loves me, like his own blood. I'm his daughter, just like he's my father... I never thought I would have that."

"How would you feel if he had your memory erased?" Jeremy tried to make the question sound challenging, but there was just so much doubt in him, so much loss.

"I don't know." She admitted with a shrug. "He'd never do that... he knows I wouldn't be myself anymore."

"That's exactly the point!" Jeremy practically snapped. "I don't know who I'd be if I hadn't been made to forget. But it certainly wouldn't be this."

"Do you think it would be better?"

And that was the bottom line of it all. Pushing aside all the ways Elena's choices had been wrong, and Damon's, all the ways Jeremy felt hurt, like his decisions didn't matter, like his will was taken from him... in the end, did he honestly believe he would have been better off remembering all along? He knew he'd been in a bad place. Still dealing with the withdrawal after the summer full of drugs and sex; the grief for his parents deaths he'd been refusing to deal with (to the point where he hadn't even noticed how badly his sister was taking it too), and then the mess with Vickie (where she kept leaving him and coming back, claiming to want him, yet refusing to be seen with him, making it all the harder for him to move on). According to the entry in Elena's diary Damon had made him forget that Vickie had attacked them, that he'd seen her as a monster, had helped him believe that her leaving was a good thing... and that was it. Everything else, that had been all him. In the end, Damon might have given him a push in the right direction, but it was Jeremy who finally found a way to move on, to get better. So maybe it still wasn't right, for Elena to have taken his choice away from him; but it wasn't too bad, good things had come out of it. Maybe, in the end, he was still him.

In the end, Jeremy didn't answer out-loud, there was no need, Itziar could read the answer in his eyes, and that was enough.

"We should go." She said instead. "The last thing we need is for people to see us out here and begin talking."

Jeremy snorted. He could still remember the last time the rumor-mill had got going... then again, it couldn't have been that bad, Damon and Bonnie had ended married, and while he still had a hard time grasping the fact that Damon was a vampire who'd lived over a century and a half, and Bonnie a witch with probably enough power to raze Mystic Falls to the ground... Jeremy knew the two loved each other.

"Yeah, we should." He agreed, accepting her hand to get on his feet.

They were about to leave the falls behind, when, after a couple abortive moves, Jeremy finally turned to face Itziar and spoke.

"I... I would appreciate if you wouldn't tell my sister... that I know about all of this, I mean." He explained quietly.

Itziar arched a brow, waiting. She wasn't telling him no just yet... but she wanted to understand what he had in mind before committing to anything.

"It's not that I don't trust her, or that I want to hurt her..." He reconsidered before saying. "A part of me would like to see, if she will ever trust me enough to tell me the truth herself... but it's even about that. It's... it's Uncle John..."

"The Hunter...?" She understood.

"Yes." Jeremy nodded, he'd told her about that (after all, she was being so honest with him it was only right). "Since he came back... he's been acting so weird... he told me about all this, even before I read Elena's diaries... and the way he acts. He looks at me like he wants me, not like a nephew, or a son, or any kind of family... he looks at me like I'm... well..."

"... a weapon." Itziar finished for him.

"Yes, exactly." Jeremy agreed. "He's planning something. I don't know what it is. But he wants me for something. And if it's something that might affect Aunt Jenna, and especially Elena... I need to know."

It was the honest truth. Elena had made choices, hard ones, to protect him before. Maybe it was time he returned the favor.

"I understand." Itziar nodded.

And she did, probably more than Jeremy realized. Alaric might be a Hunter himself (self-taught and all), but she still felt the need to protect him. In her case it was only logical, with the abilities she possessed. Jeremy might be nothing more than human, but he still had a chance to look after his family, and had obviously decided to take it.

"I won't tell her anything, but I won't lie for you either Jeremy." Itziar qualified. "The last thing I need is the Salvatores and their girls turning against me... again."

Yeah, Bonnie's last display of power was still quite fresh in her memory, she almost felt out of breath just thinking about it.

Jeremy nodded, he wouldn't want to have that particular group against him either.

 **.-.**

On Monday evening Caroline was the last one to sit at the table with Stefan, Damon, Elena and Bonnie at the Grill (Matt's shift would be ending soon).

"So, we have about ten minutes before we're interrupted." Damon stated seriously. "And you all look like hell's frozen over or something."

"Did you know that, according to the church: the absence of god is the absence of love, the absence of warmth and heat... therefore hell ought to be freezing, rather than firey..." Caro commented unexpectedly, to the disbelieving looks of everyone around the table. "What? It's just something I read recently.

"And that helps us how?" Damon drawled. "No way whatsoever. Lets get to the point of this meeting people before we're interrupted by the less-knowledgeable inhabitants of this town."

He was, of course, referring to Matt, though Caroline chose not to comment on that... it's not like he was wrong.

"As you can see, Mia isn't with us right now." Bonnie was the first to speak. "The reason isn't because she's working on her thesis, or practicing with Grams... no, the reason is because she's having dinner with Tyler."

"Tyler? As in Tyler Lockwood?" Elena was shocked.

"Do we know any other Tyler?" Caroline deadpanned, though they all knew she was trying to hide her own shock at the news.

"Since when does she know Tyler?" Stefan chose to ask instead.

"Apparently since Friday evening." Bonnie replied. "When Tyler help her when Greg drank a bit too much and tried to get handsy with her. Then he drove her home. They actually met again on Sunday, before we came back, and today..."

"Is there a reason why this should be worrying us?" Surprisingly enough Damon chose to try and be the voice of reason.

"I... I suppose not." Elena admitted thoughtfully.

"The Lockwoods are a founding family." Caroline pointed out blankly. "Tyler's parents are on the Council, same as my mom. It could be risky, if Mia isn't careful... though I suppose no more than my own mother..."

The others nodded quietly. Even Damon, while he liked to consider Liz his friend, he just wasn't sure how Liz would react, were she ever to find out the truth.

"That's not all." Elena chose to share the news then. "As you might or might not have noticed. Jeremy isn't around either."

"He and Itziar hanging out again...?" Bonnie began.

Her answer to her question came as she noticed the afore-mentioned girl (her hair a dark-shade of blue that particular day), playing pool with some boys on the other side of the Grill. Jeremy wasn't there.

"Where is he then?" Caroline inquired.

"With Uncle John." Elena answered.

That wasn't a good thing in their book. They still had no idea what John Gilbert wanted, what exactly had made him return to Mystic Falls for more than a day or two straight... but they all agreed on one thing: it couldn't be anything good.

"You think Jeremy knows about... well, everything?" Stefan asked his girlfriend, concerned.

"I don't know." The brunette replied honestly. "I mean, Uncle John knows about you and me. He doesn't like it... doesn't like me either. And I know he really wanted to talk to Jeremy about the whole 'Gilbert Legacy'..." she rolled her eyes. "At the same time, I think that if Jeremy did know, he'd have confronted me about it already, right?"

It was honestly what she believed. Her brother had never been good about keeping things to himself. And he trusted her. Even if they weren't the same age, they trusted each other, always had... until the death of their parents at least. Then Elena had fallen so deeply into depression she'd missed it when Jeremy had turned to drugs and sex in his own grief. By the time she realized what was going on it was almost too late.

Even with how bad things had gotten, with Vickie and Damon and everything supernatural that had practically fallen into their lives back then... Elena wasn't sure things could have turned out any better. On the other hand, she couldn't help but feel they could have gotten much, much worse. And yet, at the same time, she missed that old closeness she used to share with Jeremy. He was the one person in the family she still hadn't talked to about her adoption. Would he still see her as a sister even though they hadn't been born as such? She was so afraid to find out, wasn't sure she'd ever find the courage to ask.

And yet, she had no idea all the things Jeremy already knew, already thought. How, even as she kept doing her best to keep him safe, he too was trying his hand at protecting her. She wouldn't know for a while yet.

 **.-.**

In the Lockwood mansion Mia had gotten distracted on the way back to the kitchen (where she and Tyler had had dinner on a small table, as he claimed he hated the huge dinning hall, found it too cold and impersonal) after going to the bathroom, by what looked like a beseeching if odd painting of a wolf and a man crouched on the edge of a lake; the interesting part was the fact that the reflection in the water seemed to be inverted (each seemed to have the reflection of the other being).

"You like the painting?" A male voice asked her from behind.

Mia spun around, barely managing to stop her hand from going straight to her pendant, even as a protective spell began taking shape in the back of her mind. A moment later she came eye to eye with the person who'd spoken: he was big, with a similar built to Tyler, somewhat, blue eyes and brown haired that seemed to have been bleached by a good amount of sun.

"Sorry!" He exclaimed. "I didn't mean to spook you miss. I'm Mason Lockwood, you are...?"

"Amelia Rosenberg." She wasn't sure why she chose to give him her full name, she just did.

Truth was, there was something in the back of Mia's head, like some kind of itch she couldn't scratch; something about Mason Lockwood was off, very off and she didn't like it; even if she couldn't quite pinpoint what it was.

"You a friend of my nephew's?" He asked next.

Mia was so busy trying to make out what the feeling was, that she had trouble processing the question. Thankfully Mason just took it all as her being shy, or still surprised by his sudden appearance behind her.

"Tyler." He qualified. "Richard, his father, is my older brother."

"Ah... yes." Mia nodded, finally.

"You and Tyler friends from school?" Mason asked next.

"Something like that." She answered evasively with a light shrug. "Hope you don't mind, but I need to get back to Tyler..."

He followed her as she walked down the hall, asking simple, seemingly harmless questions which she answered as vaguely as she could. Even if she had no idea what was going on exactly, her instincts told her Mason Lockwood couldn't be trusted, and she was willing to trust that instinct.

They'd almost made it to the kitchen when loud voices reached them:

"Really Tyler, another whore?" It was Carol Lockwood. "First that Donovan girl..."

"Mother, this isn't about Vickie." Tyler interrupted her. "Mia is nothing like Vickie."

"They're all the same..." Carol insisted. "Can't you see all they want is your name and your money Tyler?"

"It's good to know what you think about my chances of finding a nice girl to date mother..." Tyler drawled, the slightest hint of hurt in his voice.

"A nice girl!" Carol let out a sound that on anyone else might have been called a snort. "I've introduced many nice girls to you Tyler: Elaine Walters, Tina Fell, Kathy Maxwell..."

"All boring, flighty, weak girls who care about nothing except makeup and fashion, and who would let me walk all over them if that meant they could climb just a little higher on the social ladder." Tyler retorted. "That might be the kind of girl you want for me mother, but it certainly isn't the kind of girl I want for myself!"

"Tyler..." Carol began, her voice dripping condescension.

"No!" Tyler yelled. "I won't have it!"

There's a chance he might have yelled some more, but Mia chose that very moment to make her presence known.

"Tyler...?" She called quietly.

Tyler seemed to almost deflate in that moment. His whole body, which had been all wired up, as if ready for a physical confrontation, relaxed in an instant, as he turned soft eyes to her.

"Mia..." He began, voice totally apologetic, he could only imagine how much she'd just heard.

"I would like it if you could take me home now, please." She told him quietly.

"I..." Tyler took a moment to focus and process what she'd just said, then nodded. "Of course. Come on, I'll drive you home."

Mia turned to take a quick look at blue eyed, brown haired woman in elegant but simple clothes, who was looking at Mia like he'd never seen a girl in her life.

"Good evening Mrs. Lockwood, you have a beautiful house." Mia told her politely, before turning to the other adult. "Mr. Lockwood..."

Tyler was actually staring at Mason, and Mia could read surprise in his expression.

"Hey Ty!" Mason greeted him. "Long time no seen man. Though I suppose we'll get a better chance to talk once you've taken this nice young lady home."

"Yes, of course..." He signaled for Mia and the two left quite quickly after that.

It was until they were on the truck that Mia dare speak again.

"So... something tells me you didn't know your uncle was in town." She tried to keep it light.

"I hadn't the slightest idea." Tyler admitted bluntly. "He left years ago, with hardly a goodbye. Hadn't seen him since... never expected to see him again, actually."

Mia nodded, deciding it wasn't a good idea to continue that conversation. It was obvious that Mason's departure had hurt Tyler, even if he wasn't saying it straight-out. However, Tyler seemed to choose that moment to bring up something else:

"The things you might have heard my mother say..." Tyler began, hesitantly.

"Are the things she said." Mia replied, trying to shrug it off. "I think everyone is entitled to their opinions. Your mother doesn't know me Tyler, whatever she might say right now, her prejudices, they have no weight on me. On who I am." She made a pause before adding. "We're friends. Or at least I'd like to believe that. We just met last Friday! Are still getting to know each other. Who knows? Maybe once your mother gets to know me she'll like me too."

She seriously doubted it, but there was something about Tyler that pulled at him. She liked him, like she'd never liked a boy before; and while she'd honestly like Carol Lockwood to accept her, it wasn't like she was marrying Tyler the following week or anything. It wasn't like she was in love with Tyler, she'd barely met the boy three days before!

 _And I still believe in the good_

 _And I still believe in the light_

 _And I wanna feel the sun_

 _I wanna free you tonight_


	16. Choices Made

So, here we are. From now on updates will be happening weekly. We don't have long to go, to be honest, about seven chapters after this one, if memory serves, so, two more months and we're finished. Don't know when I'll be posting the third and final part of the trilogy (hard to tell since I haven't written a single word of it, though I have most of it planned out... that has to count for something, right? Right...)

Anyway, here we go with this week's chapter. Hope you'll enjoy it (especially the reader who liked TylerMia, yay!)

* * *

 **Chapter 15. Choices Made**

Weeks passed and every day seemed like torture for Elena. She could feel her brother growing farther apart from her with every day he spent with John, and the one time she'd tried to stop it from happening John had made some dark, veiled threats regarding Elena's parentage. He apparently hadn't told Jeremy yet, if only so he could use the information as a weapon against her. It only made things worse.

Bonnie herself was only slightly less worried about Mia. It wasn't that she didn't like Tyler, but things were just happening so fast... Mia had met Tyler one day, had had dinner at his home three days later, and since then the two had been meeting and hanging out often, despite Mrs. Lockwood's quite vocal negatives. Also, they apparently had the support of Tyler's uncle, who'd just returned after an extended absence from town. At first Tyler's father, the mayor, Richard Lockwood, had claimed not to have an opinion on the matter... and then Damon had heard him comment on his son having the 'amuse himself' with a little 'pet' before settling down with the 'right girl'. It'd taken all of Stefan's strength to hold his brother back from killing the man right then and there; and still the two of them were the only ones who knew what he'd said (neither of them wanted to even begin to imagine what Bonnie might do if she found out). Still, they all agreed that wasn't on Tyler, none of it.

So no, it wasn't that Tyler was bad, not even the rumors going on around them (Bonnie wasn't that much of a hypocrite), but she knew that Mia had never had a boyfriend before, and things were going so fast, and she feared what might happen if the Lockwoods were to ever discover the truth about Mia (her lineage, and her talents both). It was bad enough worrying how Matt might one day react to Caroline's own gift.

And then Richard Lockwood died. The three Lockwood men had been on Tyler's truck the day of the accident, and while all three had ended at the hospital, only Richard had died in the end. No one knew what had happened exactly, though rumor had it that father and son had been arguing loud enough for some passerbys to hear random yelling, Mason had tried to intervene on behalf of his nephew (some claimed the topic had been Mia, though no one remembered hearing anything that might prove or disprove that theory... and it wasn't like it was rare for those particular two to fight), and then Tyler had lost control of the vehicle and they'd had gone off the road. The truck had actually overturned several times as it went down a hill, before eventually stopping as it hit a particularly big oak tree. It was probably the only reason it hadn't kept rolling all the way to the river.

And, as if that weren't enough, when a crew went to recover the ruined truck, they discovered what they later learnt was the body of 'runaway' Vickie Donovan. Matt was crushed, and the whole town was shocked by the fact that a girl that had supposedly run away had never actually left town, instead she'd died, and for months no one had known.

The whole town seemed to be present the day of Richard Lockwood's funeral (in contrast to Vickie's, which only Matt and a few of his friends were present for), and while most seemed to care only about appearances, a few did try to help the remaining Lockwoods. Until they went missing during the wake (not that many actually noticed, busy as they were doing small-talk with others present).

"Mia, is everything alright?" Jeremy asked her softly.

Bonnie's cousin looked anxious, at least to his eyes. Jeremy strongly suspected that the only reason why Elena and the others hadn't noticed was because they were so busy doing small-talk with some others. After all, Damon was the head of the Salvatore family, and while Elena wasn't quite eighteen yet, she was the eldest Gilbert child, another of the founding families... as far as Jeremy was concerned, he was the lucky one. Also, while John Gilbert was present, most people seemed to like Elena more (yet another thing Jeremy had to agree with, even if he knew he couldn't express that just yet).

"Mia..." He began, again.

He noticed how her eyes kept straying to a little hall not far from where they stood, as if something about it were calling to her.

"Something's off..." She muttered, not quite looking at him.

It took a moment but soon Jeremy remembered that while Mia wasn't exactly a witch, she too was gifted. If anyone else had made a comment like that, the boy would have thought them to be nuts, but he knew better than that.

"Want me to call my sister? Or your cousin?" He offered.

Not only Mia didn't answer, but she actually turned and left him where he was standing, walking down the hall. Jeremy briefly considered going to find the others, but an instinct of his own told him it might be better to follow Mia and make sure she was alright. He trusted that if anything actually happened the others would know... somehow (and wasn't that insane? He'd barely been aware of the supernatural for less than a month and he was trusting it would be enough...).

He heard the shouting several seconds before they actually reached its origin. It was Tyler, he was practically howling in fury at something, throwing things around in his father's study. His mother was standing before, looking half angry, half scared; while Mason stood by the door, looking like he was considering the odds of getting his nephew to calm down.

And then Mia reached the entrance to the study and went right in. She didn't say a word to anyone, just went to stand right in front of Tyler, in his line of sight, right as he was about to throw a heavy paper-weight against a wall.

"Tyler..." She didn't yell, didn't even raise her voice, and still everyone could hear her clearly. "It's okay, Tyler. Look at me... look at me. I know the world seems like a very dark place right now. But things will get better. I promise you. Somehow they will... Now look at me. Focus... I know you're angry, but your anger won't help you. It won't help anything. You know that... Take deep breaths... with me, come on."

And somehow, Tyler did calm down. The paper-weight fell from his slack fingers and he seemed to almost curl into himself and into Mia, who held him tight against her body.

There, in the middle of a half-destroyed study Tyler Lockwood, the biggest, meanest boy Jeremy had ever known, looked like a small, lost child... like Mia was the only one keeping him on his feet, and maybe she was. It was so wrong. Much as Tyler might have bullied him, Jeremy had never hated him (especially not after seeing how his father was, back during Career Day); and it felt so wrong to see him like that.

The scene also reminded Jeremy how he'd felt for so long, after his parents' death, after Vickie... until he'd been pushed to forget and move on. He still didn't agree with Elena taking his choices away; but if he'd looked like Tyler did, if his sister had seen him like that... maybe Jeremy could understand what had pushed her to make the call.

After that Mia spent the rest of the wake beside Tyler, and no one, not even Carol Lockwood said a word about it, not even when some people began referring to Mia as Tyler's girlfriend...

Elena and the rest had no idea what had happened, and Jeremy couldn't help but feel slightly giddy, knowing something they didn't, even if he didn't think it wasn't that big a thing. So Mia had found a way to calm Tyler from one of his rages... which, granted, Jeremy had never seen someone be able to do so fast or with such apparent ease, but still. It wasn't that big a deal, right? He'd no idea...

 **.-.**

Elena, Stefan, Bonnie and Damon were in the living-room of the boarding-house, chatting and laughing and having a good time when they suddenly heard the front door open and slam closed a couple of seconds later. Caroline entered the room like a woman possessed; for a few seconds it looked like she was ready to rip someone's head off, and then she collapsed against a wall and burst into tears.

"Caroline!" The other two girls cried out as they jumped from the couches and to her.

The Salvatore brothers didn't move from their spot, though they certainly stopped laughing, just watching the girls and waiting (they needed to know whose head would have to roll before they did anything...)

"What's wrong Caro?" Bonnie asked softly.

"Matt..." The blonde hiccuped somewhat.

"Something happened to him?" Elena's concern shot up in an instant.

"No!" Caro shook her head like crazy for a few seconds before focusing again. "No, it's not that. It's just... he's mourning, for Vickie." She took a deep breath and her voice became clearer as she went on. "His mother took off the day after the funeral, leaving him to deal with everything alone. I'm trying to be there for him, I really try but... it just hurts so much... whenever I touch him, whenever I even get close to him, it's as if something were tearing my heart out!" She pressed a fist against her chest as if to emphasize the point. "This isn't how it was supposed to be! I'm a Sensitive but..." she shook her head. "How can I possibly help Matt when I cannot even help myself?"

"Oh Caro..." Bonnie embraced the blonde girl tightly.

"What's wrong with me...?" Caroline sobbed miserably.

"There's nothing wrong with you Caroline." Bonnie assured her softly, rubbing her back to try and comfort her friend. "Or with your gift... this... what's happening to you... I've told you before, that Grams and I never expected your power to grow so fast."

"You know why I'm losing control?" The blonde asked quietly.

"You're not losing control Caro." The witch assured her. "You... you've bonded, with Matt. You feel his emotions so sharply because they've become your own, because you're becoming part of each other. Your strengths and your weaknesses..." she made a pause and reconsidered. "He won't become a Sensitive, but he might be able to pick a few things; at least once he becomes aware of his connection to you..."

"Is this... did I do this to him?" There was such doubt in Caroline's voice, such vulnerability, her friends hurt for her in that moment.

"No!" Both of the girls cried out at the same time.

"This isn't something you did, this isn't something one person can do to another... this bond... this is a blessing Caroline." Bonnie tried her best to explain. "Some might even say the highest blessing fate, or the spirits, or god, or whoever or whatever you choose to believe in, can give two people..."

"Wait!" Caroline's mind, finally clearing from the emotions that had been overwhelming her, began to connect the dots. "Do you mean...?"

"You and Matt are soulmates, Caro." Bonnie told her softly.

"Soulmates are real?" The blonde couldn't help the hint of disbelief in her tone.

"Of course they are!" Elena was the one to cry out then.

It was funny because from the three girls she was the only one who'd never felt anything like that, another's emotions, or heard thoughts, or anything else that might signal that she and Stefan were soulmates... and yet she'd never doubted that very fact. Even after the mess that had become their Valentine's Day date, with the ring and the misunderstandings their lack of communication caused; it was like she'd said to Stefan, if there was something she'd never doubted it was that she loved him, and could love him for all eternity.

"Soulmates do exist." Bonnie agreed wholeheartedly. "Every single soul in this world has a mate, not all may meet, but they exist. Those of us that are... supernatural so-to-speak, it can be easier for us to find our soulmates, because we can sense the bond that connects us. It doesn't mean the relationship will be perfect, or easy, or anything like that, it just gives us a higher chance to find the right person for us, our match."

"And mine is Matt." Caroline murmured, nodding to herself.

Ever so slowly her mind and heart absorbed that revelation, processed it, allowed it to become a fact in her life: like her family-of-choice, the existence of the supernatural, her gifts as a Sensitive, and everything else that made her Caroline Beula Forbes. Matt, Matthew Jeffrey Donovan was her soulmate, her perfect match... she could live with that.

"Does that mean I will never be able to comfort him?" She asked quietly. "If his own emotions are always going to overwhelm me..."

"Like with everything else, you will learn to deal with that." Bonnie assured her. "It won't be easy, but then again, nothing worth it ever is."

Caroline nodded, agreeing completely with that. From the start her relationship with Matt hadn't been easy, they were so different... but they'd made it work. He'd helped her be a better person: less selfish, kinder, more confident, happier... he'd been there for her when no one else could be bothered. She'd be there for him.

 **.-.**

Another Friday afternoon Elena was packing a couple of change of clothes in a bag. It was becoming increasingly often for her to spend the weekends in the Salvatore boardinghouse. Jenna knew and didn't seem to mind, the two of them had talked about it all of one time and Elena would always remember what she'd said:

"I just want you to be honest with me Elena. Don't tell me you're going to Caroline's place only to go and spend the night at your boyfriend's. I need to know where you are, so I can find you if it's necessary. I'm not even going to be scandalized, or tell you not to do it... I know it wouldn't change a thing. I'm not that much older than you, you know? And as much as I think it'd be easier if you were the kind of girl who makes a pact to stay virgin until marriage and actually keeps it... I know that's not you. I accept it, I accept you. I just hope you'll meet me halfway and be honest with me."

And Elena was, and so Jenna knew about Elena spending weekends with Stefan, and that he had sometimes spent the night in her room too (not since John had arrived though, as he for some reason didn't seem to like the Salvatores). Likewise, Elena knew that the nights when Jenna didn't get home, she was with Alaric; he was another that chose not to spend much time in the Gilbert house since John's arrival. (Yet another reason for Jenna to despise her brother-in-law as far as the Sommers was concerned...)

It'd actually caused some trouble, when the man had very callously mentioned Alaric's ex-wife when the two of them were having dinner together in the Gilbert house. It had taken some effort for the professor/hunter to convince her that Isobel was in the past, and he loved Jenna in that moment (something understandable considering the scumbags Jenna had dated before, like Logan Fell...).

"Elena," The man called to her right as she was zipping up her bag. "I was hoping we might be able to talk..."

"Actually John, I'm on my way out so..." He began, evasively.

"Yes well, I've been here over a month and haven't yet had a chance to exchange more than a few words with you..." He stated, not letting her through the door.

"Didn't think you were that interested." She shrugged, trying to appear unaffected. "After all, Jeremy is the real Gilbert, isn't he?"

John either didn't hear her, or didn't care for her words.

"Were are you going?" He asked.

"Not that it's any of your business, but I have a date." She answered simply, there really was no need for him to know the rest of her plans.

"Lets not beat around the bush, shall we?" He stated plainly. "It's quite clear you know about the... more abnormal beings in this world, shall we say?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She said blankly.

"Don't play the fool Elena." John almost snapped at her. "It's really silly for you to think you can pretend ignorance."

Elena didn't try to pretend ignorance, but at the same didn't offer any kind of information. She knew better than that.

"Does Jenna know what you sleep with?" He taunted, cruelly.

In that moment a part of Elena wanted more than anything to screech at him that Stefan was a who, not a what, and that he'd no right to insult them... but she knew that was exactly what he wanted, so she kept quiet.

"What do you think your mother would say if she knew you are dating a vampire?" He pressed on, trying to provoke some reaction.

There Elena really couldn't hold herself back.

"Which mother?" She hissed back at him.

She didn't point out that one was dead and long buried and he apparently had cared little for her considering how he'd left town as soon as the caskets were in the ground... not that he'd seemed to care much for Miranda when she was alive; and the other had abandoned Elena as a baby, married another man whom she never told about having had a child, and then abandoned him as well to become a vampire... Truth was Elena wasn't sure how much John knew, but if he wasn't yet aware of what had become of her birth-mother after leaving baby-Elena that night, the brunette wouldn't be the one to volunteer that information.

"My life, my choices." The blue eyed said simply, before forcing her way past John and leaving the house behind.

She couldn't help the feeling that that moment was quite final, somehow.

 **.-.**

It was one of the rare occasions when Mia found herself being the only one at home at night. Ever since Bonnie's marriage, and Uncle Sam trying harder to be a father and an uncle, she knew with enough time to arrange to spend the night with Grams, or even at the Salvatore boarding house, when Grams was busy (she met with other witches in Virginia and the nearby states every so often to be aware of what might affect them) and Elena, Bonnie and Caroline decided to have a girls' night.

That night had been unexpected. Samuel was in Mississippi, trying to convince his sister to move in with them in Mystic Falls; while Mia hadn't said anything outright, Sam suspected it was unlikely his niece would be leaving anytime soon... and that wasn't just because of Tyler. Mia was ever so slowly laying roots in Mystic Falls, and Sam really didn't want his sister to be alone when she could be with family.

In the end it was probably a good thing that Mia was sleeping alone that night. She woke up unexpectedly to the sound of crystal breaking... her window. After her recent training and all the things she'd learnt were more than mass-delusions, the moment the girl woke she was already reaching for the stake beneath her pillow (which she knew consciously was absolutely ridiculous, as a vampire couldn't actually get into the house without being invited, and no one in her family would ever do something like that), a spell at her lips. And then she heard the voice, male, spouting what sounded like a mix of curses and apologies for the broken window:

"Tyler?!" She cried out as her mind finished waking up and she managed to recognize the voice calling from outside.

Mia dropped the stake and pushed down the magic in an instant, half-absently pulling a robe over her off-white nightgown before going to her (broken) window.

"Tyler, is that you?" She asked, trying not to be too loud.

Really, the last thing she needed was for one of their nosy neighbors to see Tyler out there. Mia really didn't want to end up being the next victim of Mystic Falls' rumor mill.

"Shit!" Tyler cursed once again, wincing afterwards. "Sorry... didn't mean to break your window... I just..."

"Is everything alright, Tyler?" She inquired, already suspecting something was most definitely not-right.

"No!" He half-hissed, before calming down again, he sounded nervous, hesitant. "I just... I ah... I needed to see you... needed to talk to you... Mia..."

There was something so very wrong about a man as strong and confident as Tyler doubting himself that much. It hurt Mia, just seeing him like that.

"Why don't you come in?" She offered. "I'll be right down."

Since he was already in her backyard she went straight for the backdoor, the one that lead straight into the kitchen (it was better than the front porch, really).

Tyler went into the house the moment she signaled for him to do so, but instead of going to sit beside her, or even stand by her at the counter (where she and Uncle Sam had breakfast together, and sometimes Bonnie and even Damon too), he began pacing the length of the kitchen over and over again.

"Tyler, what's wrong?" She asked, as softly as she could.

"I'm a monster!" Tyler practically growled, then softened his voice as he added. "I... I am... it's all my fault Mia... because I was driving the truck... dad died and it's my fault... and I'm a monster... I have a bad temper, I've always had a bad temper, and dad was the same so, really, what was the point on controlling myself when he didn't? … why the hell did no one tell me something like this could happen?!"

Mia was standing before Tyler before the last word actually left his mouth, hands on his face to force him to look straight into her eyes.

"Ok... alright..." She murmured, taking a deep breath. "Look at me Tyler, look at me. Never, ever, call yourself a monster again. Do you understand that? I forbid it."

"But..." He began.

"I forbid it!" She repeated, more forcefully.

It took a few more seconds, but eventually Tyler nodded; if he did so a bit more reluctantly and grimly than Mia would have preferred, she let it pass. She would make him understand yet... though, for that, first she needed to understand what exactly had brought on all that.

"Now, explain to me, what happened." She instructed softly, as she guided him to the high-chairs by the counter.

It all came tumbling out of Tyler then. At times in broken, incomplete sentences, at times in rushed, half-formed ones. It took some effort, but ever so slowly Mia began forming an image in her mind. It all had hinged on Mason Lockwood's return to Mystic Falls. Apparently the man had left town so abruptly and in such bad terms years before that no one expected him to ever come back. He'd been getting close to Tyler for weeks, not only siding with him when it came to Mia being his friend, and later on girlfriend, but he'd also tried to curve Richard's temper, particularly when he turned it against Tyler.

And it hadn't stopped there, for weeks he'd been spending time with Tyler, telling him stories, family legends. About men and women who could change their shape, turn into wolves...

"Werewolves..." Mia breathed out, in shock.

Because, of course, if witches and vampires were real, why not werewolves too?! The thought crossed her mind tinged with hysteria.

"Werewolves." Tyler repeated, not quite looking at Mia. "Only, according to him, they're not legends, they're real. George Lockwood, our ancestor from the time of the civil war, was a werewolf; and so have been a number of others in the family in the last hundred and fifty years. So is he... and so am I..."

Mia's thoughts came to a screeching halt at that, and she said the first thing that came to mind:

"But I was with you during the last full-moon!" She blurted out. "You took me on a date to that french restaurant in Richmond, remember?"

"Yes, of course." He nodded, still not looking at her. "But apparently even though all of us Lockwoods are born with the potential to be shifters, we need to 'activate' the gene."

"A... and how do you do that?" Mia asked softly when realizing he wouldn't volunteer the information on his own.

"You have to kill someone." He confessed, bunching his shoulders, his body strung tight, as if bracing himself for a blow.

"But you haven't killed anyone!" Mia was in absolute denial, she refused to even consider the possibility, and then...

"I was the one driving the truck when my dad died..." He reminded her. "Apparently it doesn't matter if its intentional, or an accident. If we're responsible for a death, the gene gets activated. According to Mason I will be turning on the next full-moon."

Mia's eyes immediately went to the calendar on the kitchen wall, it was the kind that had small icons bellow the number for every-day, signaling holidays, special events, and even the moon phases. She had no trouble finding the little full circle that signaled the full-moon.

"That's in two weeks..." She breathed out.

For several seconds neither teenager said a word. Then Mia took a deep breath and squared her shoulders, she'd made up her mind.

"Very well, we'll do this." She announced.

"What...?!" It was obvious Tyler wasn't expecting that. "I... I didn't come here for that!"

"I know." She nodded calmly. "You came her to vent, to be able to talk to someone you knew you could trust... thank you for that by the way. I promise your secret is safe with me." She breathed deeply. "But unless you have decided you no longer want me to be your girlfriend, then we are most definitely getting through this, together. Don't even think that this changes how I feel about you, or that it's a good excuse to deny our feelings."

Tyler felt truly chastised by that. It was true that he'd gone to her because he knew she could be trusted. He'd also expected her to break-up with him as soon as she'd processed it all; she probably would have even tried to be kind about it... except she hadn't done that. From the moment he'd heard Mason tell him everything Tyler hadn't dared believe he might even have a life once the next full-moon came, and yet... he still had no idea how exactly they were going to handle it, but he trusted Mia; they would find a way, together.

 **.-.**

In the morning Tyler decided to blow school and Mia didn't complain about it. She knew he wouldn't be at ease until he'd talked to Mason, and she was going to be right there with him. The young man had spent the rest of the night in her bedroom, using a sleeping-bag placed on the floor, just being in the same room as Mia helped calm him. She hadn't offered sharing her bed, and he wouldn't have accepted even if she had. Mia wasn't like Vickie, or any of the other girls Tyler had slept with in the past; he was very clear on that and would never so much as think about reducing her to that.

Mia knew that Tyler was no virgin, had slept with a number of girls, not all of which had been girlfriends. She accepted him like that, just like he accepted the fact that he was her first serious boyfriend, and that she wasn't ready to even think about sex. He'd also been warned by Bonnie, Elena, the Salvatores and even Caroline, in a very explicit and 'detailed' manner what he could expect if he were to ever betray Mia; Matt hadn't interfered, though once it was all over he'd been almost rolling on the floor with laughter.

So after some coffee and toast (Tyler's nerves were making Mia nervous enough she couldn't stomach anything more), Mia got dressed in a simple short-sleeved top in shades of yellow, with a light blue camisole underneath, dark green skirt, and her favorite tanned-leather low boots. Inside her bag she carried a couple of thin stakes (that could pass as chopsticks), her vervain spray, a cloth bag with a few crystals to help focus spells (she drew on Bonnie's magic but still needed to be able to shape it), and finally a sprig of wolfsbane (it'd been among the herbs she purchased for spells), just in case.

Tyler and Mia entered Lockwood manor together, hand in hand. Tyler's mom was at City Hall, she'd taken over as mayor after the death of her husband, claiming it'd be only until the time came for the next election.

Mason was in the living room, and he wasn't alone, a blue-green eyed woman with long light-brown hair with Californian-highlights in denim short-shorts and a pale-green camisole was sitting beside him. Knowing what she did by that point Mia had no problem sensing the beast inside both of them.

"Tyler, you came back..." Mason breathed out in obvious relief, before his eyes laid on Mia. "Why did you bring Mia?"

"We have to talk about private things boy, you should tell your girl to leave, now." The dark-blonde stated with a self-important air.

Mia arched a brow elegantly at the woman (a gesture she'd borrowed from her cousin), before standing before her, uncaring of the fact that the other was considerably taller.

"You have no authority over me, lady, whoever you might be." Mia stated in the most dismissive tone she could manage.

"You will leave or I will make you, brat." The woman hissed.

"I would like to see you try." Mia said with a bit more bravado than she actually felt.

She knew that if she were to channel her cousin's magic she could take the woman on... but doing so would irremediably call Bonnie's (and everyone else's) attention, and she'd promised to keep Tyler's secret.

"Lets make one thing very clear." Mia stated in a soft but strong voice. "I'm here with Tyler, I'm not leaving him, and nothing you say or do will be enough to make me do so. If you try to force the issue you will not like what happens."

Neither would she, but Tyler would always come first.

The blonde got dangerously close to Mia for a moment, right into her personal space, sniffing the brunette a couple of times before pulling back and hissing between clenched teeth.

"What have you brought into our midst boy?!" She snarled at Tyler.

"Tyler..." Mason began, looking at his nephew and the boy's girlfriend in turn, unsure.

"I swear upon my bloodline that I have no ill-will towards you and shall never raise a hand against you or yours unless it's in the defense of me and mine." Mia stated solemnly, before turning her eyes to Mason. "I told you before my name is Amelia Rosenberg, family and friends call me Mia... I am aware of the power that runs through your blood." she pondered on it before elaborating. "I've known you weren't quite human from the first time I laid eyes on you. But I didn't quite know what it's you are... until last night."

"Until your little boyfriend told you." The woman hissed. "Until he betrayed our secret!"

"He knew he could trust me." Mia said simply. "Knew I'd never betray him. He's my boyfriend and I love him..."

"What do you know about love?!" The blonde snorted. "You're but a child, claiming to love whoever takes your fancy!"

"Mia is not like that!" Tyler almost roared.

In that moment he was all for throwing himself at the blonde, might have even tried to tear her throat out, livid as he was at the insult directed to his girlfriend. Mia, seemingly sensing what was going on with him, spun around instantly, cradling Tyler's face with both her hands and taking deep breaths as she pressed their foreheads together until Tyler had calmed.

Mia waited a minute or so more after making sure Tyler was calm, before turning around to face the two werewolves again. It was as if some kind of switch had been flipped on them; the distrust, and downright fury on the woman's part had vanished completely, leaving instead a mix of curiosity and wonder.

"What...?!" Mia blurted out, feeling oddly intimidated by the stares.

"When you mentioned that she could calm him I didn't expect this." The woman admitted, before facing Mia straight on and offering a hand. "I am Joyce McManus, alpha female of the Yellow-Moon pack, currently residing in Florida. I'm Mason's mate."

Mia nodded, she knew what most of that meant and could make decent assumptions regarding the rest (Isobel's book had had very little information on werewolves, her fixation having been -or still being- vampires; but Mia had since found other sources to expand her knowledge).

"Like I said before, I am Amelia Rosenberg." Mia decided to be polite and give the were a second chance, for them and specially Tyler. "I didn't actually live her until recently, spent most of my life in Mississippi. I'm Tyler's girlfriend... oh, and I'm wicca."

"A witch!" Mason cried out in shock.

"No, wicca." Joyce corrected his boyfriend. "It's not quite the same thing."

"That's correct." Mia nodded. "Witches have the magic inside them and can wield it with enough training. Wicca like myself... we have no magic of our own but we can channel the magic from the Earth, the elements..."

… and witches when they're strong enough. Mia broke off before saying that. It wasn't like she was lying, she just wasn't telling them things they didn't need to know.

"Is this truly your choice?" Mason asked in a tone that make the question sound loaded.

"I stand with Tyler." Mia stated, for her it was as simple as that.

"Then sit down." Joyce indicated. "You children have a lot to learn before the full-moon..."

Indeed they had a lot to learn, they had no idea just how much. Mia just prayed to the Goddess that her cousin and the others might not find out; at least until she'd earned the werewolves' trust and found a way to convince them to deal with vampires (despite the fact that, according to all trustworthy sources the two supernatural races were sworn enemies and had since from the beginning of time...). Mia had hope...

 **.-.**

Jeremy was curled up in a corner of the park, sketching some monstrous creature or other (as had become usual for him in recent months) when Itziar abruptly dropped beside him. Neither of them said a word for a while, though they were each perfectly aware of the other, as Jeremy proved when he accepted the soda Itziar offered him, and Itziar when she shifted and settled more comfortably with her back against an oak tree and hip against Jeremy.

"How long are you going to keep with this charade?" She finally blurted out.

Jeremy did not reply to that with words, though he stopped his sketching and waited.

"Elena came to me." Itziar began ranting in an increasingly anxious tone. "You remember Elena? Your sister? The one who tried to hurt me more than once since I went after Damon Salvatore of all people! She came to me and asked me to find out if you were alright. If something had happened to you. If you hate her..." She broke off, taking a breath. "She told me that if you found out the truth about... everything, if you hated her because of what she did, what she made you forget, to try and convince you to at least give her the chance to apologize to you. She was practically begging me Jeremy! Now, I may not be Elena's #1 fan, but there's something very wrong with her begging, especially when this whole situation is fake!"

"Sh!" He hissed quietly at her.

For an insane moment Itziar wondered if she'd been wrong. Was Jeremy really that angry at his sister still? Were his actions some form of vengeance?

Jeremy for his part was having to remind himself that he was going through the whole charade for a reason. It was true that in the beginning, when he'd first found out the truth, about the supernatural and what Elena had done, he'd hated it (but not her, he could never hate his sister, not really). But he'd promised himself he'd be the one doing the protecting this time, and he had to hold onto that.

"Uncle John is planning something." He blurted out very quietly, so only she could hear him.

"What?!" She wasn't expecting that.

"I don't know what it is yet." He admitted softly. "But he's making plans, for sometime around the Anniversary of the Founding. That's in less than two weeks."

"Plans? Plans against vampires?" Itziar sought to clarify.

She could hardly believed herself, not long before she'd been of the strict belief that the only good vampire was a dead vampire... how things had changed!

"Knowing John it'll be against every supernatural being in Mystic Falls, which would affect Bonnie and probably Mia too, and others..." He shook his head before turning to look straight at her. "Perhaps even you!"

Itziar had no words for that.

"So you see, I have to do this." He went on. "I have to keep this charade, if only for a little longer. I need to be able to keep Elena safe, and those she cares for."

"Just don't forget to look after yourself too."

"I won't. I promise that as soon as this is over I'll go straight to my sister and clear all this mess with her, once and for all."

He'd no idea just how soon that would be.

 _And I still believe in the good_

 _And I still believe in the light_

 _And I wanna feel the sun_

 _I wanna free you tonight_

* * *

So, what do you think? I know it probably seems like the whole Vickie-thing went too fast, like I didn't give it the importance it deserved. To be honest I had planned more, but in the end I didn't quite find a way to put it in, and it wasn't relevant for the rest of the fic anyway. Also, the last thing I need at this point is to revisit the kind of individual Damon was at the time Vickie died, so...

Now, I do realize the situation between Tyler and Mia is going a bit fast. The way I see it, their supernatural sides are recognizing their compatibility and that's helping push them along. Not like they don't have free will, but it helps reassure them that they're doing the right thing. That it's not a mistake, or a crush.

And what do you think about Jeremy? I wanted to do something different with him than the emo-kid he was around the end of the first season, and the the mood changes he had in later seasons tended to give me a headache... though, to be perfectly honest, no one was (is?) worse than Matt, I honestly cannot keep up with him without getting whiplash... and a migraine. So, none of that here!

And, soulmates? Yeah, I'm crazy like that, but you probably knew that already.

Hope you liked the chapter, see ya next week!


	17. Loyalty

First of all, I'm really, really sorry that I didn't update this yesterday. A fuse or something like that in my block blew, which meant I had no electricity for almost twelve hours. No power meant no computer, and especially no internet, so I couldn't update then. I had an awful night and then needed to shower and take a nap before I could even focus enough to get this done, so yeah. Again, sorry, for here we are now and I hope the chapter will be worth it.

For those wondering why the hell Jeremy hasn't talked to Elena yet... here you have it? Also, my version of the mess John caused in the original season 1 finale (which will be nothing like that, obviously, but still). Also, for those who've been waiting for me to finally tell you what really happened to Bonnie and Damon three days before her fifteenth birthday, guess what? Here it is! Yeah, finally.

So, enjoy the chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 16. Loyalty**

Damon was pacing, he'd been pacing for the last three days or so, since he'd learnt that John Gilbert was planning something for the Anniversary celebrations. Of course at the time Liz had been ranting about it, angry because John and Richard Lockwood had planned the whole thing with her deputies without telling her a word about it. She didn't realize that Damon was the reason she'd been bypassed; John didn't know if she was compelled or a true ally of the vampires, but wasn't willing to risk it. The problem was that, because of that, they had no idea what the plan actually was.

And then Mia arrived.

"I have information." She blurted out.

She was standing in the foyer of the boarding house, light-jacket still on, bag on hand, she hadn't so much as waited to be in the living room before talking.

"I have information about what John Gilbert's planning for the Anniversary." She elaborated when no one reacted.

"What?!" The shock was absolute.

"What do you know?"

"How do you know?"

"I am dating Tyler." She reminded everyone unnecessarily. "Spend a considerable amount at his place. I've heard things..."

No way was she telling them that Mason had been trying time and again to get into the Secret Council, citing that he wanted to continue the work his older brother had started... they weren't allowing him in, not yet, but he'd still managed to get close enough to overhear John Gilbert talking with the sherrif's V5 team.

"But..." Someone began.

"Please don't ask me more!" Mia cut them off. "I cannot tell you, but you need to listen and you need to believe me because if we don't do something we're all in danger."

That shut everyone off.

"What do you know cous'?" Bonnie asked her softly.

"John has something he calls the Gilbert device, someone made a disparaging comment about it, calling it a music box, but it apparently is a lot more than that." Mia explained. "I have no idea what it does exactly, I'm not sure if anyone does. We don't think it'll kill anyone, but it might out the supernatural to them..."

"Vampires..." Elena began.

"Not just vampires." Caroline cut her off. "Depending of what the device does exactly, it could act on everything supernatural."

Which meant Bonnie, Itziar, and possibly even Caroline and Mia (and others).

"We need to get our hands on that device."

No one was quite sure who said that first, though they all agreed wholeheartedly... they just had no idea how to do it.

 **.-.**

"I still say we should pack our bags and go." Joyce stated bluntly as she paced (more like stalked) across the room. "And the two of you should come with us."

Mason didn't say a word, it's not like his lover's argument was a new one, but he wasn't going to abandon his nephew, not then, not again; and especially not to the mercies (or lack thereof) of John Gilbert.

"I'm not leaving my family!" Mia stated in her no-nonsense tone.

"You said this would be fixed." Mason reminded her softly. "You told us you would take this information to someone you trusted and who would be able to do something about it. Something to stop John Gilbert. Thus far nothing has been done. I know because I heard John talking about it, again. The anniversary is in three days. We're running out of time."

"We're out of time already, it's time to get out of here." Joyce insisted, looking straight at Mia. "I told you we came here because we wanted to find a new home for our pack... we need to, there's too many clans in Florida already. More than one, perhaps two alphas in the same territory? Not a good idea." She shook herself. "Mason told me that there had been weres here in the past, that they'd had good lives until the lines either died out or went dormant. I thought Mystic Falls could be our new home, I really wanted that."

"I can still be that!" Mia tried to convince her.

"Not when a secret council is after our blood!" Joyce spat.

"Technically they aren't after us." Tyler offered.

"Not yet!" The blonde hissed. "And only because they don't know about us. I'm sorry Tyler, but we need to go. Now, before it's too late."

"It's not too late, not yet. This will be solved."

"How? And by whom exactly? You won't even tell us that?"

"You think yours is the only secret I keep? Or mine?" Mia narrowed her eyes. "I promised to never betray your secret, and I won't. But what makes you think I'd ever betray others for you? That's not how it works."

In that moment Joyce really wished that Tyler had already changed, that he'd taken Mia as a mate, then, as part of her pack they'd have to follow her orders, rather than question them. Then again, there was something about Mia... about Amelia, beyond her status as a wicca; Joyce didn't think her will would be bent that easily...

"Something will be done." Mia insisted. "I promise to you that if a solution isn't found by Saturday night we will all be out of Mystic Falls before the celebrations begin on Sunday."

Of course, by all she meant not only them but also the other side of her family... once again, they didn't need to know that, yet.

 **.-.**

On Saturday evening Damon himself was about ready to order everyone in the family to pack their bags and have them as far away from Mystic Falls as they could get before the secret council realized they were missing, when something completely unexpected happened.

The sound of the door opening and closing meant next to nothing. It'd become pretty normal for people to come and go as they kept trying to find more information, to come up with a plan that didn't require a family exodus... they were even distracted enough that when a certain brown-haired teenager entered the living room neither of them paid much attention to him, at least not until he placed a small box-like object on the coffee table.

"I believe you are all looking for this." He stated, flipping the object, a small metal box, open.

"What is this?" Damon asked, reaching for it. "A music box?"

"This is the Gilbert Device." The teen stated calmly.

Everyone froze.

"Jer...Jeremy...?" Elena called, very softly, as she entered the living-room.

She'd been in the kitchen, getting some coffee ready, when she heard her brother's voice. At first she hadn't been sure it was really him. So many questions ran through her mind: Did he know? Well, of course he did, that much was obvious. But how much did he know? Enough to know of the Gilbert Device. Did he know what she'd done (or what she had Damon do to him)? And why was he helping them?!

"Hey sis..." He murmured back, voice turning into a drawl as he added. "Surprise..."

The moment his lips shaped into a smile, that was all Elena needed, she ran, jumping over the railing, only to land running in the living room; before anyone could fully process any of it she had Jeremy in her arms and the two siblings were embracing tightly, Elena babbling apologies so fast her words were getting mixed up, while Jeremy held her and repeated assurances of everything being alright.

"I forgive you, sister..." He whispered eventually.

It took several minutes for Elena to calm down after that. The Gilbert siblings ended on a sofa, with Elena practically curled up in Jeremy's lap as he ran his fingers through her hair in soothing motions.

Caroline finished the coffee Elena had been preparing and soon they were all in the living room, waiting for the explanations.

"How long have you known?" Stefan asked eventually.

"Since shortly after John arrived." Jeremy answered honestly. "At first I didn't want to believe him." He made a pause and considered. "Not sure which part bothered me the most: the supernatural existing, or the chance that Elena might know and be lying to me. I knew there was only one way to know for sure. I've known where Elena keeps her journal for ages. It was easy enough to take it, and read it... that cleared up a lot of doubts, it also revealed to me things I never imagined possible: about all of you, abut Vickie, Anna, and myself..."

That sent Elena into yet another round of apologies.

"It's alright sis, it's alright now." Jeremy assured her calmly. "I've had enough time to deal with it and accept that you thought you were helping me." He shook his head. "Just for the record, I still think you were wrong, making the decision for me... but I understand what made you do it. Itziar helped me come to terms with it all."

"Itziar..." Elena began in shock.

"She knew!" Caroline called in an accusing tone.

"Don't take it against her." Jeremy shook his head. "After I read Elena's diary I needed to take a walk, try and calm myself... I met her by the falls. We got talking and she told me her story. We talked all night long and she helped me deal with my own emotions." he turned to face his sister. "She told me you were worried, that you even asked her to intercede for you with me. You must know that she tried..."

"But you hadn't forgiven me yet." Elena finished for him.

"It wasn't about that." Jeremy assured her. "I'd forgiven you by the next morning Elena. In the end, you're my sister, you'll always be my sister..."

"Oh Jer, if you've read my diary you must know..." The blue-eyed brunette began.

"I know." He cut her off. "I don't care, whoever your biological parents might be, or might have been, you're my sister Elena, and nothing will ever change that."

"Then, if it wasn't that, why wouldn't you talk to Elena?" Caroline demanded.

She'd really hated seeing (and feeling) her friend being so down.

"Because of that." Jeremy answered, signaling to the music box on the table. "I knew John was planning something. He knows the Salvatores are vampires, and that the sheriff is friends with Damon; it's why he'd been so secretive about everything. I knew that the chances of you managing to do anything to stop him in time were slim, and I had to do something." He kissed Elena's brow gently. "You've always protected me sister, it was time I did the same."

"I love you Jeremy..." Elena breathed out, unable to find anything better to say.

In the end that was enough.

 **.-.**

The next day the Anniversary began with a parade. There was the marching band, the football team and a number of cheerleaders; Jeremy, Itziar, Tyler and a number of their classmates were on board one float set to represent the Battle of Willow Creek (Damon had almost made himself sick in laughter before explaining to the others that at least half of the so-called 'Battle of Willow Creek' was nothing but a lie, it was the cover the Founding Families had created to justify those who'd died while they rounded up the vampires); and then there was the float with Miss Mystic: Caroline Forbes, her court: Elena Gilbert, Tina Fell and Abby Miller, as well as their boyfriends/escorts, they were all dressed in 1864-regalia.

That last detail in fact had brought some memories to the Salvatore brothers, who couldn't help but wince as they watched Elena, who looked so much like Katherine in that moment that Damon almost felt sick (he probably would have, had he been human).

Bonnie had actually woken up late that morning, having spent a lot of energy undoing the spells her ancestor had once placed on the Gilbert Device. She understood why Emily had done it, of course she did, especially if one considered how many vampires had been living in Mystic Falls back in the 1860's; how many had the chance of returning if the tomb beneath the church was ever opened... but Bonnie simply couldn't take that kind of risk, not with Damon, and Stefan, and the rest of their quirky little family that were all connected one way or the other to the supernatural. If Mystic Falls was ever in danger again they would protect it, there would be no need for the Gilbert Device.

Bonnie arrived a bit late to the parade, though still just in time to see Tyler pretend to shoot Jeremy down on their float, with Jeremy dramatically letting himself fall, Itziar trying valiantly to hide her laughter at their antics, while Mia (the only one not part of the parade and watching from the sidelines) dissolved into giggles herself.

Then came the Miss Mystic float. Caroline was so proud, standing at the top, in a yellow gown and with Matt holding her around the waist; both of them waving at the crowd with bright smiles. Elena and Stefan were on the next level, and finally the other two couples.

Then Elena turned just the right way and her eyes met Bonnie's, just for a moment, she smiled a mischievous smile, wiggling her fingers at her best friend before turning to the rest of the people, failing to see what her little act had caused on Bonnie.

It's not like anyone could have predicted it, the effect that little action would have on Bonnie. The moment reached the farthest corner of her mind, of her subconscious, burning through walls and locks that had been in place for so long the witch had almost forgotten existed. Suddenly the image of Elena in the green gown and that mischievous smirk seemed to double, except the copy had her in a violet top, tight black jeans and heeled boots... and her eyes weren't blue but brown...

"Katherine..." Bonnie breathed out in shock before collapsing.

She didn't see Mia rush to her side, having sensed the moment her cousin began getting lost in herself; or the moment when Damon joined them, almost in panic himself after seeing his wife go limp for no reason at all, and the last word she'd said before going unconscious really didn't help matters any. At the same time, neither of them had the slightest idea of what was going on inside the witch's mind, the things she was seeing, remembering:

***Vision/Flashback***

Bonnie woke up slowly but surely, almost jumping to her feet the moment she was fully awake. She was so full of energy. Ever since blood-bonding with Damon, something that had showed her how much he loved her as well as allowed her to balance her spirit, her magic (and not die from having so much power); it was as if every day was absolutely perfect. She put on her school uniform, shoes and then decided to leave her hair down that day. Then she took a look into the mirror, deciding she looked quite good (at least for a fourteen-almost-fifteen year old) and left her bedroom.

"I'm leaving now dad!" She called as she made her way to the door.

"Wait just a second, young lady." Samuel called from where he was having his usual cup of coffee before going to work. "Where are you going?"

"To Gram's for breakfast." She answered simply. "Then Elena's mom will pick me up for school and in the afternoon we'll go to a movie, or the Grill, begin some early celebrations for my birthday and all that."

She shrugged, appearing dismissive, until Samuel nodded and waved her goodbye. Of course, there was no way she could explain to her father that while she was, indeed, going to her grandma's house, there she would be meeting an older man, with whom she was planning on having breakfast, it was also likely he'd be the one to drive her to school, and out once the school-day was over (If Samuel decided to call the girls to confirm anything in the afternoon, once we got to wherever it was he was going that time, Caro would cover for her, no problem, she was good like that; even if that meant Bonnie would have to go through a CIA-worthy interrogation on Monday). Her father knew nothing about magic, even less about vampires, she so didn't want to have to explain her Dark Angel to him.

In the end, even at fourteen, Bonnie was a very independent girl, her father allowed her to go out on her own, even more than Caro got to.

Bonnie was just a couple of blocks from her Gram's place when she saw someone standing in her way. Dressed in a purple top, tight-black jeans and boots; with her long hair in loose curls, Bonnie raised a hand automatically to wave at one of her best-friends, even as a part of her wondered why Elena was trying to look older, with that kind of clothes, the make-up and the hair. It was until she was already losing consciousness that the realized what else had bothered her so much of the girl before her: her eyes weren't blue, but brown.

***Flash***

Those same eyes were the first thing Bonnie saw as consciousness slowly returned to her. The next thing she picked up on, was the woman's voice, higher and somehow also colder than her best-friend's as she said:

"I'm not Elena..." The voice whispered.

No, she wasn't, and as Bonnie finished waking up she could see that. It wasn't only that the one before her wasn't a fourteen-year-old pretending to be grown-up, not even the difference in eye-color, or that the brown-eyed was actually a vampire (and Bonnie could only smack herself mentally for not having realized that earlier). No, the Bennett witch could actually sense the evil she exuded, the shadowed soul...

"Who are you...?!" Bonnie demanded with all the strength she was capable of.

She was weak, and had no idea how long she'd been out, though the numbness in her limbs told her she'd been in the same position for quite a while. Also, whatever it was that had knocked her out was still making it hard for her to focus, but the energies were returning with every beat of her heart.

"My name is..."

The vampire was abruptly interrupted as the door into wherever-it-was they were was smashed in violently and they could all hear the loud, deep voice calling two words.

"Little Witch!" The voice called.

It took less than a handful of seconds for Damon to get to right room (or what might have once been a room). When he did he was about to dash to his little witch, until he fully processed who it was that was standing next to her...

"Katherine...?!" The shock was so great that Damon's voice actually seemed to break.

The Bennett witch could only watch the two of them in disbelief, that was Katherine? Her Dark Angel's former lover? The one he'd claimed to love... at least until he'd chosen her... she had no idea what she ought to think about that.

"Damon... what a surprise..." Katherine called in an awful falsetto.

"Katherine..." Damon repeated, still deep in shock. "You... but... how are you here? I... I thought you were in the tomb! Emily told me..."

"I wasn't aware you knew Emily's descendant." The brown eyed vampire commented, a fake-carefree tone to her voice.

"I have met all of Emily's descendants." Damon said almost automatically. "I made a deal with her, to save you..."

"Ah..." Katherine nodded in understanding. "I guess that's what you meant about a tomb... Anna had told me something about that, have to say I didn't believe her..."

"How are you here Katherine?" Damon asked again.

"I don't know if I should find that romantic or pathetic." The female vampire went on, completely ignoring Damon's questions. "What do you think... Little Witch, was it?"

Bonnie couldn't help the shiver at hearing that beloved nickname in the chilling voice of the brown-eyed vampire.

"Is she your little pet, Damon?" She asked in a sickening tone.

Bonnie took offense at that, but she bit her tongue. She had no idea how Damon might want to handle things and she wasn't going to make things harder for him than they needed to be.

Damon considered lying, for all of three seconds he considered telling Katherine that Bonnie was nothing to him, just a tool, a means to an end, a connection he was nurturing so she might one day open the tomb, save his true love: Katherine herself. Because Damon had believed her to be there... that had been the plan all along, wasn't it?

Before the third second was quite over Damon had a flash of memory, he remembered the moment when Bonnie had looked at him in the ruins of Fell's Church, while planning how she'd one day open the tomb, back when she'd believed that very lie... he never wanted to see that emptiness in her eyes again. She wasn't meant to be ashes, but fire, bright and hot.

"She's my Little Witch." He stated in a very clear no-nonsense tone. "And if you lay a single hand on her I will make you pay, Katherine."

The she-vampire didn't manage to hide the shock at those words in time.

"But Damon," She called in a high, almost childlike and extremely sickening tone. "I thought you loved me..."

"Just as much as you loved me before abandoning me to the mercy of the Founding Families, and of course, my brother as well." Damon snarled at her. "You left us believing you had died in that tomb! We were going to let ourselves die, out of love for you!"

"But you didn't." Katherine pointed out without an ounce of emotion.

"Bitch!" Damon cursed her.

Bonnie was finally fully awake, to find herself sitting, curled in a ball, on the half-ruined floor; her head hurt, but she could mostly ignore it, and then... A cry escaped her as she suddenly found herself pulled up, high enough her toes weren't quite touching the ground, a pair of hard, strong and cold arms holding her up, and at the same time bending her head painfully to the side, revealing her neck. She barely managed to swallow a second cry when she felt fangs beginning to scrap at her neck.

"No!" Damon roared in fury. "Let her go Katherine, your problem is with me!"

"Ah, but I think this makes it all a lot more... fun." The she-vampire practically purred.

Katherine buried her fangs in the witch's neck, and the caramel skinned girl shrieked in half-pain, half-horror, for all of three seconds, before darkness claimed her.

***Flash***

The next time she woke up Bonnie found herself with her hands tied together with vervain-soaked rope (she knew that smell), probably more to ensure Damon couldn't free her than to really do anything to the witch.

The sound of flesh parting, followed by a pained moan brought the little witch abruptly back to the present as all her senses processed what was going on.

"Dark Angel!" Bonnie screamed.

The cry was enough to call Katherine's attention back on the witch. Damon tried to stop her, mumbling threats and even offers of surrender (Bonnie honestly hated the latter much more than the former).

"You ready to join the fun then, little witch?" Katherine said in her childish tone.

That was the first time Bonnie Bennett knew what hate was, such a feeling as she'd never felt for anyone else before in her life. The hate filled her, and as it did the young girl became aware of something very important: her power was alight again.

She wasn't quite sure how it happened, but in the next few seconds she ended back on her feet, Katherine behind her. The female vampire was using her arms to hold Bonnie's own, and she'd placed a wooden dagger, soaked in vervain in them. She intended to use Bonnie to hurt Damon... that made the little witch more terrified than her own precarious position.

"No!" Bonnie screamed, trying and failing to get away, she couldn't even drop the knife. "No, don't! Nononononono..."

"Sh..." Damon half-whispered, half-moaned, trying to sooth her. "It's alright Little Witch..."

Katherine's laughter, after those words sounded to Bonnie's ears like nails on a blackboard.

"Oh, how hard he tries..." She mocked. "You always were such a bleeding heart, Damon." She pressed her lips against Bonnie's ears. "But you must know he's lying, little witch. Damon always lies. Things most definitely won't be alright..."

As Katherine dared use those words, her nickname (which only her Dark Angel was allowed to call her by), Bonnie snapped. Katherine wanted to use her to hurt Damon; and he'd rather allow that, that risk her being hurt. The young witch wasn't going to allow that. She screamed, a single word in the ancient (almost dead) language of magic... calling on the core of her power to be unleashed.

The effect was instantaneous as fire enveloped Bonnie completely, burning most of her clothes away, yet leaving her skin untouched.

Katherine screeched in surprise and pain, letting the young witch go and rushing away even as she tried to put out the fire already licking at her arms and chest.

"Damon!" She wailed in fury. "I will make you pay! Mark my words! I will make you and that little brat pay!"

She was gone then. Probably off to find some innocent to drain, she'd need a lot of blood to recover from those burns (particularly because they were magical). Damon briefly considered going after her, ending the threat she represented to him and his once and for all, then he heard his Little Witch's quiet whimper and all thought of revenge flew his mind in an instant. Instead he went to kneel beside the teenager, immediately noticing the blisters and burns on her skin (and the marks Katherine's teeth had left on her neck). She'd been in so much panic she hadn't been able to quite reign in her magic, causing it to hurt her as well. He didn't even think about it twice as he slipped off his coat, using it to cover Bonnie before tearing at his right wrist with his teeth and placing the bleeding limb before her lips.

The witch needed no prodding from him to drink a few sips, enough for her body to heal itself. The last thing they needed was to take her to a hospital and have to explain to the doctors her burns... never mind the almost total lack of clothing. It would be hard enough to explain it to Sheila... she wasn't going to like it, not at all...

***End of Vision/Flashback***

Mia was worried enough when Bonnie collapsed on the street, wasn't sure how she'd have been able to do anything if Alaric hadn't gotten there just in time and helped guide her and Damon (unconscious Bonnie in his arms) to his own apartment a couple of blocks down, just in time for Damon to cry out 'Little Witch' and collapse right next to his mate.

 **.-.**

An hour after Bonnie had first lost consciousness the whole group was gathered in the living-room of the Saltzman family. Alaric had had to cancel a lunch-date with Jenna, but as she'd agreed to change it to dinner he didn't seem to mind that much. Also, he saw the whole situation as a chance to be on better ground with the group, and since his daughter was dating Jeremy Gilbert that was probably a good idea.

Bonnie's sudden cry of 'Dark Angel' at some point had sent Sheila into motion immediately.

"We need to lay them on the ground and create a magic circle around them, now." She ordered in a no-nonsense voice.

While no one really understood the urgency, everyone got moving instantly. Itziar, Alaric and Stefan moved the coffee table and a couple of sofas a bit to leave enough space to lay the couple on the ground (with a thin throw beneath them), before the girls worked on drawing a circle with chalk around them. Sheila and Samuel (who'd arrived at some point) immediately placed a glass of water, some incense, a candle and some salt on each of the cardinal points to call on the blessings of the elements.

The moment the preparations were finished Sheila began chanting. Soon enough a barrier had come up, and almost as fast it began flickering.

"She needs anchors." Samuel stated.

"Could I do it?" Mia inquired.

"Yes." Samuel nodded. "But he'll need more than one this time. You will need to be able to stand Bonnie's magic if she loses control."

"Is this something we should even be doing inside the house?" Alaric asked suddenly. "I mean, aren't we running the risk of her bringing the whole place down on our heads."

"Bonnie would never do that." Jeremy tried to defend her.

"If she's not in control..." Itziar commented doubtfully.

"If she loses that much control nothing and no one will be safe." Caroline deadpanned.

She was about to step forward to offer herself as the second anchor when, unexpectedly, Elena did exactly that, dropping to her knees on Grams' other side and touching the very edge of the circle with the tips of her fingers, like Mia was doing.

Before anyone could say a word, either in doubt or surprise, the results became obvious, the flickering stopped and the barrier began shimmering softly. Just in time, as but three seconds later Bonnie began babbling negatives in an increasingly desperate tone, before abruptly wailing out a word in latin.

What followed was a rush of fire, fast and hard, crashing against the shield in every direction before becoming some thick it was as if the flames had become solid.

"Damon!" Stefan cried out in worry.

"Easy man," Jeremy needed Itziar's help to be able to hold him back. "Your brother will be alright. Bonnie would never hurt him, no matter what."

Stefan could still remember that day, back in December, when Damon had jumped into the tomb after Bonnie, intent on saving her; how he'd gone straight through the magic and it had done nothing at all to hurt him (some would say the ribbons of magic had actually caressed him, much as Bonnie tended to whenever the two got close enough to each other). Stefan could remember that. He also knew Bonnie loved Damon with everything she was, she'd never hurt him... he believed that, he trusted her...

"Just what is going on here?" Samuel demanded, angry.

The fire vanished a moment later, gone as if it had never existed. Clothes, throw and even the hardwood floor, they were all intact.

The three women holding the shield waited a few seconds more before letting out a breath and backing away, letting the shield fall, the danger had passed.

"I demand someone explain to me what the hell just happened!" Samuel snapped.

"They're remembering." The old-witch the younger generation tended to call Grams said quietly, voice full of grief and the beginning of tears in her eyes.

"Remembering?" Asked Jeremy, Itziar and Alaric, the only ones present who didn't understand what they were talking about.

"What happened almost four years ago." Sheila explained very quietly. "Right before her fifteenth birthday..."

"What happened...?" Jeremy inquired, looking at his sister, he had a bad feeling.

"I don't know the details." Elena admitted quietly. "She's told me in general terms, but even she doesn't remember... or I guess she didn't remember, until now." She shook her head. "Back then I just thought she must have been visiting family or something, for her birthday when I didn't see her for the whole weekend."

"She almost died..." Samuel and Sheila said at the same time.

"Even I don't know for sure what happened." Samuel admitted. "They never told me."

"We didn't want to worry you." Sheila admitted. "There was nothing you could do."

"I knew something was off when she didn't get to school that Friday morning, but I just thought she'd skipped school to spend the weekend with Grams, or maybe with tall-dark and handsome, or something." Caro admitted quietly.

"She didn't get to school?" Samuel hadn't been aware of that, he turned to his mother-in-law sharply. "Just what happened to my daughter, really? I knew it was bad, but apparently none of you have ever seen fit to tell me how much."

"They didn't remember." Grams said calmly. "It was necessary to make them forget. Bonnie kept having horrific nightmares, and even while awake, she was so terrified she hardly moved from her bed. Damon and I... we both knew she needed to forget, she was just too young to deal with the kind of horrors she was put through that day. And of course, because of the blood-bond that kept her balance, once Bonnie forgot, so did Damon."

"What happened?" Samuel hissed darkly. "Exactly, I want to know."

"You'll understand I don't know everything, only what they were willing to tell me." Sheila pointed out before going into the story. "My grandbaby left her house early in the morning to join me for breakfast, that part you know already, Samuel. What you don't know is that Damon was already a part of her life, back then. He'd been visiting her since she was a child, and at some point after her fourteenth birthday he just didn't leave..."

"Why would he do that?" Alaric asked.

It was so hard for him, to conciliate this image of Damon with the one that had always existed in his head, of the monster who'd taken his wife from him... it was one thing to accept that the vampire might actually care for his wife, and his brother, and perhaps their friends; when he was still a monster with everyone else. But what they were saying in that moment, that went back much longer, before he ever lost Isobel... it was just too much for a man who had shaped his whole life around the fact that vampires were monster and he needed to hunt them to avenge the love of his life... or the one who was supposed to have been the love of his life.

"Damon made a deal with Emily Bennett, back in 1864, to protect her lineage." Sheila told those who didn't know yet. "He thought it was just a matter of a favor for a favor." though she wasn't telling them what favor. "He didn't know what Emily did, that his soulmate, who hadn't been born yet, was a Bennett witch."

"Bonnie..." Several people realized at the same time.

"Exactly." Sheila nodded and went on. "Because of that Damon saved Emily's child when she was burnt at the stake in 1864, then he'd visit every so often, about once or twice every generation, to make sure the line endured. Not every generation got to know who and what he was, and what we owed him..." She shook her head at the memories. "Not all would have understood it, I don't think."

Samuel absorbed that, to think that his daughter owed her very existence to him... it was absolutely baffling.

"Most of you young ones wouldn't know this, but I've been married twice in my life." Sheila explained quietly. "I had twenty-two wonderful years with Matthew, he died a week before Bonnie was born... However, before him I had another husband, the two of us had very little time together, as he was drafted less than a year into our marriage, and he never came back from the war... he never got to meet our child, our Leah..." She shook her head pushing those memories aside, there was a point to her story. "I first met Damon at Lee's funeral. He told everyone he was a friend of his from the war, brother-in-arms, he called them..."

"Lee... your husband, he fought in the Vietnam War, correct?" Stefan asked suddenly.

"Yes." Sheila wondered what his point was.

"Then it's quite possible Damon did know him." Stefan pointed out. "My brother hates war, has since his entire platoon was killed around him, during the civil war, a few months before we were turned." It was why he'd deserted, in fact. "And yet, as a vampire he often returned to the battlefronts." Mostly to feed, but Stefan knew that sometimes he'd take pity on some soldier or other and helped them. "He took part in the Vietnam War on and off while it lasted."

"How do you know that?" Elena asked him, curious.

"He brought it up, once or twice, during arguments in the past." Stefan shrugged.

It took a minute or so for Sheila to find her center again after learning that. At the time she'd been so lost in grief and pain. Needing to be strong for a baby who couldn't look after herself. Damon had been there as a friend, and then she'd met Matthew... he was such a gentleman, and willing to raise Leah as his own. He hadn't even been bothered by Sheila wanting to keep the surname of Bennett, same as Leah... Matthew had loved her so much, and while Sheila had certainly loved him too, she'd never forget Lee.

"Damon was there when I touched bottom, when I had no idea how I could possibly raise a child all on my own." Sheila explained. "I didn't actually know he was a vampire, or the one we Bennetts owed our lives to until months later..." She shook her head to herself yet again. "Then I met Matthew, and Damon slipped out of my life as quietly as he'd come in. I thought I could sense him nearby once or twice through the years. I'm almost sure he was there at Leah's and Samuel's wedding... though the next time I saw him, truly got to talk to him, was a month or so after Bonnie was born." she turned to face Samuel. "You and Leah had gone out on a date, leaving my grandbaby under my care, when he dropped by."

"And you let them meet." Samuel wasn't even surprise anymore.

"I didn't know what instinct pushed me to do it, but yes." Grams didn't bother trying to deny it. "It was until years later that I realized what they were to each other. How it was always meant to be like that." She let out a breath. "I don't think even they realized it at first. Damon kept visiting through the years. At first I thought it was just that he was bored, that Bonnie made his existence interesting, somehow. And then I saw them together..."

She didn't quite know it all, she was unaware of how many times Damon had visited Bonnie (before he just stayed); how he'd been the one to help her when she was going through all that bullying for 'being a witch', or moving on after her mother's death, how he'd been there for her every time her father wasn't, and was the one to hold onto hope even when she had none left.

"What exactly happened that day?" Caroline asked very quietly.

"Like I was saying, if things had gone as they should, Bonnie would have arrived to my house right in time for breakfast, then Damon would have taken her to school." She smiled at the look of surprise on Samuel's face. "He'd been driving her for months by that point, to and from. He was actually planning on taking her to Alexandria, to meet with a coven of witches he knew there. They actually liked him, and I know he was hoping they might help Bonnie learn a few new tricks; also, so she'd have other friends who understood what she is and can do, besides me and him." she sighed, sadly. "But my grandbaby never arrived that morning. She was taken from the streets, two blocks from my house. Damon realized something was wrong and went looking for her."

"Why didn't you call the police?" Alaric asked.

Everyone, even Jeremy, turned to look at him with an 'are you kidding me?' face.

"At some point Damon called me, told me the tracks lead somewhere past the Old Wood and he was going to go find her." Sheila went on. "He would be out of reach, since there is no signal in the Old Wood. He promised to find her, and bring her back to me, and I knew he would. I knew he would do anything for her..."

Sheila Tituba Bennet could still remember, with painful clarity, how that afternoon had ended. The image was seared in a corner of her mind: Damon Salvatore, wearing but tatters of what had once been a black raw-silk button-up, ruined slacks and no shoes, half-healed wounds covering his chest and the visible parts of one leg; and in his arms, an unconscious Bonnie Bennett, she didn't look injured, yet was wearing nothing except her underwear and his black leather jacket on. The older witch could also sense her magic had been drained almost completely. Whatever had happened must have been bad enough to risk their lives; it had to, because stopping it had nearly cost her grandbaby her life.

Thankfully, by some strange quirk of fate, Bonnie and Damon chose that very moment to wake up, sitting up in tandem with a loud gasp, hands entwined. Sheila really didn't think she'd have been able to explain what she'd felt when seeing her dear granddaughter that evening...

"We remember." The Little Witch and Her Dark Angel stated in unison.

"The one who kidnapped me, who almost killed us both two days before my 15th birthday..." Bonnie began, quietly. "It was Katherine."

The response, as expected, was absolute pandemonium.

 _And I still believe in the good_

 _And I still believe in the light_

 _And I wanna feel the sun_

 _I wanna free you tonight_

* * *

So, what do you think? Of course, there's a lot that still needs to be said and done regarding both the anniversary and Bamon's remembrance, but that'll be coming next week. See ya then!


	18. Ties that Bind

So... this one's got the aftermath of the mess you saw in the last chapter, and a bit more for you to chew on... I really have no idea what else to say to you besides that.

Oh, I see Muse's "Invincible" as the theme for the family coming together... especially against others like John, and whoever else might come in the future. I also see "Family Tree", as sung by Matthew West as sort of Tyler's song... for those who might be interested.

* * *

 **Chapter 17. Ties that Bind**

Bonnie woke up with a scream logged in her throat, as her hands automatically went to her middle, as if she were subconsciously searching for a wound that was no longer there. There wasn't even a scar; if she was honest about it, the injury hadn't existed at all for more than thirty seconds, quite possibly less... and yet, it was still a source of trauma for her. It had been back when she was fourteen, the whole reason why she'd had to be made to forget (either that or go insane).

"Why did you never tell me?" A deep voice asked from beside her.

Bonnie let out a breath, due to their hand-fasting Damon had access to her memories, and she to his. It was how she knew how insane with worry he'd been as he spent all of Friday morning searching high and low in Mystic Falls and its surroundings until eventually finding her trace near the Old Wood; she also knew exactly why he hadn't even tried to trick Katherine about the truth of their connection, or how willing he'd been to die for her... at the same time it had allowed him to know all Katherine had done to her (which thankfully wasn't really that much, Bonnie had spent most of her captivity unconscious), and it specially allowed him to know of the wound he had missed at the time (missed seeing, as it had been camouflaged with the blackened ashes of her burnt clothes and the burns themselves, though his blood had still healed it, along with the rest).

"To be fair, I forgot all about it two days later." She pointed out, trying to fake nonchalance (and failing utterly).

"It was that injury that traumatized you, wasn't it?" He guessed. "Over everything else that happened that day, even Katherine's threats."

"No." Bonnie was quite honest about that. "No, the part of that day that traumatized me the most was her wanting to use me to hurt you. If I had truly hurt you... if I hadn't managed to call on my magic when I did... I would have never gotten over it, regardless of any spells used to make me forget, the guilt would have swallowed me whole."

"It wouldn't have been your fault." Damon murmured softly.

"Just like it wasn't your fault that Katherine targeted me in the first place, yet you're certainly blaming yourself for that, aren't you?" She knew him so well... "She wasn't aware we even knew each other at all before you found me, found us there!"

Damon knew she was right, but still didn't stop the grief, the guilt inside him.

The wound in question was (or more like, had been) four puncture wounds, just bellow her ribcage, each around half an inch in diameter, and about two or so deep... the size of Katherine's fingers up to the second knuckle...

It had happened in between Bonnie calling out for fire, and the element actually manifesting. Katherine had gone to hurt the witch. It was impossible to know if her intention had been to cause some pain, or to downright rip the young Bennett's heart out. Thankfully the fire had come just in time, forcing her to withdraw. Otherwise, Bonnie probably wouldn't have survived, with or without Damon...

 **.-.**

The rest of the group joined Bonnie and Damon in the boarding house as soon as school let out. Even Alaric, Samuel and Grams were there.

"Are you alright Bon?" Elena asked softly, approaching them.

"Better." She answered honestly.

It was the truth. The wound had been traumatic years before, in many ways it still was, but she was no longer a fourteen-going-on-fifteen girl with no experience fighting for herself, and for those she called her own. She was Bonnie Aithné Bennett-Salvatore, daughter of Samuel and Leah (Fell) Bennett, granddaughter of Sheila Tituba Bennett, descendant of Emily Bennett; and most importantly: wife, mate and One True Love of Damon Alessio Salvatore... and there was also the fact that she was (arguably) the most powerful witch in the world.

The group shared a late lunch, crowded on the smallish counter in the Salvatore kitchen before migrating to the living-room, most of them holding a glass of one drink or another.

"So, are we going to talk about what happened yesterday?" Caroline asked bluntly.

"We told you already, Damon and I remembered what happened two days before my fifteenth birthday." Bonnie replied somewhat calmly.

"But why did you remember exactly then?" Jeremy didn't understand it.

"It was because of me, wasn't it?" Elena questioned quietly, written all over her face. "Because of how I looked yesterday. Because I looked exactly like Katherine."

Truth was, that little detail hadn't actually occurred to her as she got dressed and Jenna helped her with styling her hair and the make-up. Not even when Damon looked at her and his expression twisted as if he'd just swallowed a lemon, or a mouthful of vinegar. Not until the night, as she was getting undressed in Stefan's (and hers) room in the boarding house.

***Flashback***

Elena was trying very hard to unlace the corset of her dress all on her own (it had taken both her and Jenna to get her into it that morning); Stefan was taking a shower and she really wanted to get out of those stifling clothes so she might do the same. She couldn't help it when she tripped a bit on her half undone skirts, crashing against the bookshelf that held all of Stefan's journals. The second oldest he kept, which dated back to 1864, it was an account of the months while he had known Katherine, before being turned. There was an old photograph inside. One Stefan had once kept close to him, he didn't anymore, but he wouldn't get rid of it anyway; even if he no longer loved Katherine (and he admitted he probably never had, not really), she was a part of his past, one that couldn't (and shouldn't) be forgotten. Several of the journals fell off the shelf, the old photo slipping out, and then Elena realized.

It had actually caused her a great deal of grief. Stefan had entered the room, after having a shower, to find his girlfriend half-dressed, half-undressed, curled up on the floor, besides Katherine picture, shaking.

"Why must I look so much like her, Stefan?" She sobbed quietly. "Am I cursed?"

"Oh Elena..." Stefan knelt beside her, pulling his girlfriend into his arms. "You might look a bit like Katherine, but you're not her, I know that, all of us who knew her, know it."

"I still look just like her." Elena insisted.

"Actually, you don't." Stefan said unexpectedly. "Not completely."

"What...?" His girlfriend wasn't expecting that, and for a moment she wondered if he was just saying that to make her feel better.

"It's your eyes." He explained. "I remember when I first saw you, last year, when I still had my doubts. I could never get close enough to be sure. Then the accident happened, and I got you out. I stayed with you just long enough to be sure you'd be alright until the rescuers got there. I remember one thing with perfect clarity, the moment when you opened your eyes, just briefly, before falling unconscious again. Your eyes became seared into my mind since then. Your deep, shining, blue eyes..." He let out a breath. "Katherine's eyes never looked like that, and not only because hers are brown, but there's something inside you, like a light, which she lacks. After that moment, that brief instant, I knew I could never confuse you with Katherine ever again."

Somehow, that was exactly what Elena needed to hear.

***End of Flashback***

Still, even that wasn't enough to erase the thought that it was her fault Bonnie and Damon had been forced to remember that traumatic event. Because she looked so much like Katherine, and it was her that had hurt them so.

"It's not your fault Elena..." Bonnie assured her best friend, grasping the other girl's hand tightly for a few seconds. "This is something that we needed to remember... it would have happened sooner or later. And at least now we know."

"Wait a moment." Mia said. "Let me see if I got this right. Katherine tried to kill you almost four years ago... and then just last year you were looking for her...? I don't understand."

"Yes I was." Damon almost growled. "For the same reason I was professing to love her after having fallen in love with my Little Witch... the same reason I was trying to get the bitch out of a tomb where she wasn't and had never been... I Did Not Remember!"

"It was kinda my fault." Bonnie admitted softly. "I was traumatized by what happened that day, couldn't get over it. After two days of not sleeping, not eating and hardly even moving from my bed, Grams decided that something needed to be done." she sighed. "It was probably a good thing that Damon had already balanced me by that point, otherwise I'd have probably ended blowing something up, killing someone." She took a deep breath. "And because he'd balanced me through a blood-bond, we were connected, that connection made him forget, same as I did. We managed to put it off for one more day, to allow us to celebrate my birthday in the manner I wanted to, but that was it."

The witch fingered her lapis-lazuli moon-pendant as she said that, remembering the day it was given to her, that perfectly bittersweet date... and then when she'd found it again, the night of the Winter Dance, as she was getting ready for her last dance, and for what she expected to be her last spell ever...

"But why forget so much?" Jeremy didn't understand.

"That was actually my idea." Damon admitted grimly.

Yes it was, and Bonnie had been furious when realizing that. She hadn't actually realized it at first, her memories still somewhat scrambled. And then she'd recalled the day of her birthday (even if still not the kidnapping), and all hell had broken lose.

***Flashback***

When Damon woke up it took him several seconds to remember where he was, exactly: The DeSantis Villa in the outskirts of Florence, Italy, where he and Bonnie were spending their honeymoon (even if their marriage wasn't quite legal yet, it was still real, for them and their closest friends). Which begot the question: Where was his Little Witch?

He followed the trace of her aura to his mother's old garden, sitting on a rock and staring straight at the moon's reflection on the pond. He could feel that she was upset for some reason, it gave the blue-eyed vampire a bad feeling.

"Was it your idea or Grams'?" Bonnie asked out of the blue.

Damon had to be honest and admit he had no idea what she was talking about (even as he quickly realized that his wife and mate was upset, and it was somehow his fault).

"I remembered my fifteenth birthday." She said quietly.

Suddenly he had a very good idea where it was all going.

"The plan was for the memories of my... our captivity to be taken, so I would no longer suffer for it." Bonnie stated in an even, almost emotionless tone. "Then you would take off for some time, long enough to make sure there were no other threats coming our way... I was never supposed to forget that I ever knew you!"

Her voice distorted into a wail as she said the last part, and it hurt Damon just to watch her.

"My Little Witch..." He began.

He tried to comfort her, but she was taking no comfort from him, not until he'd told her truth. He owed her that much.

"Why did you do it Damon?"

She was calling him by his name, that wasn't a good sign.

"I had to protect you." The vampire said finally. "I had to. I knew you weren't going to like it, your Grams certainly didn't when I told her what I wanted her to do. But eventually she came to understand why it was necessary..."

Or so he wanted to believe... when he said the words Damon suddenly couldn't help but wonder if the old witch had truly agreed with him, or if she had just done it because she didn't want to risk him doing something worse? Maybe she'd known all along that they'd remember one day, that the spell wouldn't last forever...

"You have any idea what I'd have felt if you had died that day?" Damon asked suddenly, with a mix of near-grief, stubbornness and reckless abandon. "Where I could survive Katherine's apparent death, even while believing myself in love with her... I know I'd never survive your passing... even turning off my humanity wouldn't have been enough. Something happening to you, especially because of me, it would destroy me..."

"Oh my Dark Angel..."

Apparently she was no longer as furious with him... but having begun, Damon simply couldn't stop, not until he'd gotten it all out:

"You're not supposed to die for me, Little Witch." He went on. "And don't try to deny it. I saw your expression that fraction of a second before you called on your magic... and even before that, when you were planning on opening the tomb, all while knowing the spell would very likely claim your life..."

"You never told me anything." Bonnie stated. "If you had told me... we could have discussed it instead of you making decisions for me!"

"And would you have listened?" He shook his head, already knowing the answer. "No, you wouldn't have. It's just the kind of person you are, Little Witch, the one who's willing to give anything, even her own life. You weren't going to stop if I just asked you to. So I decided I had to take myself out of the equation. It'd be safer for you that way..."

What he never considered was that he'd been there for so long, and he was so intrinsically connected to her, to her very core... that it wasn't just memories that were lost with that spell... Bonnie's magic also got buried so deep down it didn't resurface until three years later.

"I've only ever wanted what's best for you, Little Witch." He assured her.

"Yeah well, you're going to have to accept that I'm perfectly capable of deciding what's best for me." She replied. "Besides, who are you to throw stones at me, about being willing to sacrifice myself when we both know that you would do exactly the same?"

He had no response for that.

***End of Flashback***

That particular argument had ended with them at an impasse. In the end the best they could agree on was to fight to stay together, no matter what; it was the most they could guarantee to one another, in the end.

"Grams was the only one who remembered anything after that day, since she was the one to cast the spell that made us forget." Bonnie added.

The others didn't question her or Damon further about that particular choice of his, they could all see it was a painful memory for both.

"What about Katherine's involvement?" Stefan asked. "Why wasn't that mentioned before?"

He didn't understand why Sheila had gone along with the whole plan to open the tomb, if at least she remembered what had happened before, the fact that Katherine wasn't there...

"We never told her that it had been Katherine." Damon admitted grimly. "The Little Witch was traumatized and as I kept trying to hep her it just... slipped my mind."

Which, more than anything else he could have ever said or done, showed just how much he didn't care about his former lover (and sire).

"So, you remembered all that from back then... but it really has no effect on the present." Alaric commented suddenly. "I mean, it doesn't change anything at all, right?"

"No, not all." The match agreed in unison.

*There is one thing, though.* Bonnie told her husband in the privacy of their bond. *That dream I had when we were in the Villa... now we know for sure it wasn't the past...*

No, it wasn't, and while it could still be nothing more than her fear playing havoc with her; there was still the chance that the vision showed a future event, one neither of them was going to like, at all...

 **.-.**

Elena stopped her van in front of her house and, after taking a deep breath, she, Stefan and Jeremy stepped out of the vehicle. Damon and Bonnie weren't far behind, having arrived in Damon's black Ferrari, right behind them.

After the discussion regarding the returned memories had ended Grams had announced she had some projects to look over, Alaric had tests to grade, Samuel too had something job-related to do, while Mia had a date with Tyler, and Caroline had homework to do. Jeremy pointed out that he probably should get home, if only because he hadn't been there since Saturday afternoon and he didn't think Jenna would keep taking flimsy excuses from him for much longer. That also served to remind Elena that she herself hadn't set foot in the Gilbert home since Friday, so it was a good idea for her to do too... And then came the reminder of John Gilbert...

The last time Jeremy had seen him had been on Saturday evening, when the man had fallen asleep and the teen had taken advantage to grab the Gilbert device and run straight for the Salvatore boarding-house with it. He didn't even want to imagine what John was going to say (or do) when they next met. Elena had downright refused to let her brother deal with that situation on his own, particularly since he'd done it for her, and in the end Stefan, Damon and Bonnie had insisted on tagging along, just in case.

They had yet to so much as reach the bottom step leading to the front-porch, when the door was opened abruptly. John stepped out, closing the door behind him before facing the group.

"Do not think even for a second that you will set foot inside this house again, ever." He stated in an icy tone.

"That's not for you to decide." Elena informed him calmly.

"Of course, I should expect nothing better from the likes of you." John's voice was full of scorn as he said those words.

"Don't you dare speak that way about my sister!" Jeremy snapped, rushing up the steps and across the porch, until he was almost in John's space. "I've about had it with you disrespecting my sister for her choices. We know you don't like them, and that's just fine, but you have no right to call her names because of who she's chosen to love!"

"Jeremy..." It was impossible to know what was greater right then, John's shock, or his horror. "Jeremy, what have you done?" He shook his head. "You took the device, didn't you? Did you give it to those monsters? Are you that stupid! Don't you understand it was our only protection from them, from all the monsters?! Stupid boy..."

As the older Gilbert made a move to smack the younger one, everyone moved at once. Both Salvatore brothers moved in unison to defend the boy, however, in the end Bonnie was faster. Before he could fully comprehend what was going on John found himself suspended in the air, an invisible hand wrapped around his neck, tight enough it was taking a considerable effort for him to breathe (it wasn't quite lethal, but a bit painful, and most certainly uncomfortable).

"I am Bonnie Bennett-Salvatore." The young witch stated as she looked straight at John. "The heiress of Emily Bennett. I'm sure you must know who she was, if you possessed things like the Gilbert Device, if you know where the Gilbert Tools truly came from..."

John didn't reply to that introduction, Bonnie had left him honestly speechless. He did know who Emily Bennett had been; all the Gilberts were, all they had achieved as Hunters, they owed it to her, to the tools she'd gifted them with. Which was probably why he'd such a hard time understanding how Emily's descendant had ended marrying a vampire, and particularly one who'd been turned during Emily's time...

"I don't care for your thoughts regarding my choice of mate, or Elena's, or anyone else's." She went on in a serene but powerful tone. "I do care about the safety of me and mine. I know you probably fancy yourself Mystic Falls' savior or something like that, but know this, if you lay a finger... no, if you try anything, if you so much as think about doing anything that might result in any member of my family: by blood, name and choice, being hurt. I will end you."

And while John would have usually laughed at an eighteen-year-old pronouncing such threats against him, he could see in the green-brown eyes flashing before him, that the young witch meant business.

"So you've betrayed your blood then, boy?" He spat at Jeremy. "After everything I've tried to teach you over the last two months, this is how you thank me."

"I'm choosing my family, my sister, that is no betrayal..." Jeremy began.

"She no sister of yours!" John interrupted. "No Gilbert, no more than the daughter of a whore who probably didn't even know the name of the man she opened her legs for!"

If they'd been anywhere else, dealing with anyone else, Damon would have made a quip about John taking the whole thing a bit to personal, sounding jealous, or something along those lines. He managed to keep his tongue in check, knowing it probably wasn't a good idea to infuriate the man further, not with Jeremy and Elena in the 'line of fire' so to speak.

Again, the one to move was the one least expected, as Jeremy delivered a punch hard enough to take down John.

"Don't you ever insult my sister again!" The seventeen-year-old practically snarled at him. "Elena is my sister, in every way that counts... not that I expect you to understand such a bond. We all know how little you really cared about your own brother, how little you care about me. We're just tools to you, only valuable as long as they're useful. Well, I refuse to ever be used by you. I'm loyal to my family, the family I've chosen to love, and you will never be able to do or say anything to change that."

He and Elena had talked for hours the day before, while waiting for Damon and Bonnie to wake up. They'd talked about everything they'd missed of each other after their parents' death, the normal things, and also everything supernatural. Elena had explained things that she'd never put down in her journal, like the depth of her feelings regarding being a dead-ringer for Katherine Pierce, and also what that meant for the Salvatore brothers; her fear of eternity and everything else she believed loving Stefan might cause. The way her life-long desire for a husband and children, a job and family, kept fighting against her absolute love for Stefan. Jeremy in turn told her about the drugs, and Vickie, and Anna, about his first conversation with John, and reading Elena's journal, and then talking all night long with Itziar; how he probably would have stayed furious with her for much, much longer if he hadn't had Itziar there to help him work through his feelings. And how he'd come to decide it was his time to try and take care of the family...

They'd also talked about Elena's adoption, what it meant for them (Jeremy didn't care, he still saw Elena as his sister and always would); what little they knew about Elena's birth-mother: Isobel Flemming, and how no one had the slightest idea who her birth-father might be (or have been). That particular topic of conversation had also pushed her into eventually revealing the contents of her recovered memory, of the argument she'd overheard between Miranda, John and Grayson, what had been said, about both Elena and Jeremy...

"Elena? Jeremy?" Jenna's voice came from inside the house. "Is that you?"

Jeremy was furious still, but Elena had explained to him how important it was for Jenna to remain ignorant as long as possible; to protect her from it all. Jeremy didn't quite agree, though he knew he was probably a bit biased after his own experience. Though, considering that Jenna and Alaric had been dating for months... Jeremy really thought it was only a matter of time before she learnt the truth. Still, he was willing to be patient and take his time to convince Elena that it'd be much better if they were the ones to explain things to their aunt, rather than wait for something to happen.

"We're here Jenna!" Elena called brightly.

By the time Jenna was at the door the two siblings were standing right outside, in such an angle as to prevent her from noticing John, still down, beside the door (the Salvatores were already driving away).

"So, you finally decided to come back home, huh?" Jenna commented, only half in jest.

"Oh... you know we've missed you Jenna!" Elena said, and she wasn't faking the smile then.

She truly did love Jenna, they both did. Even if she was a bit flighty, and there had been a time (right after Miranda's and Grayson's funeral) when none of them were sure how the whole thing was supposed to work... she was almost more an older sister than she was an aunt, but the bottom line was that she loved them, and neither of them had ever had reason to doubt that. So they would do their part too, caring for Jenna in every way they could.

 **.-.**

Late in the afternoon Mia found herself kneeling on the dirt ground in a clearing of the piece of the Old Woods that was actually in Lockwood property, close to an area Mason claimed had been the old slaves' quarters. It had been explained to her that it would help, if she was nearby when Tyler first changed, as long as she didn't try to fight him, or to run away once he'd caught her scent, she would be alright. Joyce had even proposed the idea of her locking herself in what looked like a cell of some sort in the underground quarters, but Mia hadn't liked that, she was a tad claustrophobic and the idea of being locked up, even if it was by her own hand, wasn't to her liking.

So she'd com up with an alternative. Having warned Bonnie beforehand that she'd be doing some casting and it was nothing to worry about, Mia used a silver athame Damon had given her as an early birthday present to trace a magic circle for protection around her, three times.

"You do know silver does nothing to us, right?" Joyce asked teasingly.

Mia was willing to bet that a silver athame charged with the magic from the last Bennett Witch, the strongest of their line, might do more than nothing... but since the wolves only knew about her being a wicca, and nothing about Bonnie, yet, she held back.

"This is a blessed athame." Mia explained as she finished the third circle and sat back on her ankles, looking around her to make sure she'd done them right. "It's a tool, meant to help me cast. In this case, this magic circle."

"What exactly is this supposed to do?" Tyler asked her, curious.

Mia raised a hand for them to wait as she placed candles in the direction of the four cardinal points, lighting them with a spark of magic. Yellow in the east for air, red in the south for fire, blue in the west for water, and green on the north for earth. Then she chanted several lines she'd memorized earlier, a call to the elements and the Goddess for protection; she'd even added a line to request assistance from the goddess of the moon, since it was one of her children she was there for.

"This magic circle is for protection." She said once she was finished with her preparations.

"Do you honestly believe that will be able to stop us... our wolves?" Mason was doubtful.

"Why don't you try it?" She offered, a hint of a smile on her lips.

It looked like Mason was going to take her up on her offer in a most direct manner, when his mate stopped him.

"It's a bad idea to doubt a witch's power." She commented softly.

"But Mia's just a wicca..." Tyler commented, with a shrug that tried to communicate it was nothing against his girlfriend.

"You were channeling." Joyce stated, looking straight at Mia.

"All wicca channel." Mia pointed out calmly. "We have no magic of our own."

"That may be true." Joyce agreed. "But I've met witches, and I've met wiccas. What you did just now, you weren't channeling the Great Mother, or the spirits... no, you were channeling something, or rather, someone else. Someone with great power."

"You are right." Mia nodded quietly. "I have... I guess you could all it patronage, from a powerful witch. I will not say anymore from now, but I hope to be able to introduce you all to each other after these three days have passed."

"Can you guarantee that my pack will not be in danger?" Joyce wanted to know.

She took her position as acting alpha very seriously. Truth was that her sister Jules was the actual alpha of the pack, along with her own mate, a male called Brady. As such they were in Florida, looking after the rest of the pack, while Mason and Joyce tried to find out if Mystic Falls was truly the answer to their prayers, a chance for a new home.

"I swear upon my life and the lives of my family." Mia offered the highest oath she could think of, then added: "By the end of the next three days, you will be my pack too."

The moon rose then and after taking their clothes off in the semi-privacy of the slave-quarters Mason, Joyce and Tyler surrendered to their wolves. The two older wolves began teaching the younger ones how to be in his new form, and he would often pace around the protective circle, scratching at the dirt just beyond the edge; though he never tried to cross. And so, the first night of the full moon began.

 **.-.**

On Friday evening Samuel drove into his garage feeling excited, he had a surprise for his family; or, to be fair to the person sitting shotgun in his car, they had a surprise for their family... which was at least half-turned on him the moment he recognized Tyler Lockwood's truck just outside his house.

"Who does that monster belong to?" A female voice asked, looking at the fairly big truck.

"Tyler Lockwood." Samuel answered as he helped the other step out of the car.

"Amelia's boyfriend drives that thing?!" She just couldn't understand it. "How can he control something of that size."

"You have seen pictures of him, haven't you?" Samuel asked in turn.

The woman nodded, though she still didn't seem convinced. Samuel didn't say anything further, instead taking the bags in the trunk and leading the way.

"Mia...? Is Tyler here with you?" Samuel called as he entered.

"We're in the dining room Uncle Samuel." Mia answered, though she was actually in the kitchen. "Ty and I bought some things to go at the Grill, hope you're hungry."

There was a hint of nervousness in her voice, though Samuel didn't notice it, busy as he was with his own thoughts.

"Oh, and we have a couple of guests." She added suddenly.

As Samuel finally reached the dinning room he noticed Tyler was already there, setting the table, and there were two people sitting on one side:

"Good evening, Mr. Bennett." Tyler greeted.

"Good evening Tyler." Samuel nodded at him.

"Right," Tyler sounded a bit shy as he went on. "This is my uncle Mason, I think you might have met him before, in passing. And this is his girlfriend, Joyce McMallon."

"Good evening Mason, it's a pleasure to meet you Miss McMallon."

"Joyce please, or even Joy." The blonde said with a small smile.

"Hey uncle Sam!" Mia greeted cheerily.

She entered the dinning room carrying a couple of bowls with a salad to accompany the dishes already on the table. Tyler immediately took them off her hands, placing them on the table himself before taking her hand.

"I think we'll be needing one more spot on the table." Samuel commented suddenly.

"Huh...?" Mia was confused as she counted over the places they'd set. "But...?"

She broke off, as a woman stepped from around Samuel to stand by his side. They looked enough alike it was evident immediately that they were related, though that wasn't actually the point, as the bronze-skinned, copper haired woman with chocolate eyes, and who in that moment looked so much like an older Mia stood beside Samuel and spoke:

"Amelia, darling...?"

Mia's reaction was immediate, as she dropped the napkins she'd been placing on each spot around the table and rushed to the woman, embracing her tightly.

"Mama!" She cried out in absolute delight.

Tyler actually gulped a bit at that, to Mason's absolute amusement, which had to be curved by Joyce as she kicked his ankle to stop his badly concealed chuckle at the reaction their nephew had to the sudden appearance of his girlfriend's mother.

"I didn't know you were coming to visit." Mia stated with an eager smile. "Bonnie's going to be delighted... oh, and you must meet Damon! And Elena, and Stefan and Caroline, and Jeremy and everyone else..."

"I'm not here to visit, darling girl." Sienna smiled kindly as she revealed the true surprise. "I'm here to stay."

Mia's shriek was enough to make her boyfriend's ears ring but he didn't care. Tyler would endure a lot more to see Mia as happy as she was in that moment.

"Everyone, this is my mother Sienna Rosenberg." Mia introduced the woman with a huge smile when she finally calmed down. "Mom, this is my boyfriend, Tyler Lockwood, I've told you about him. His uncle Mason, and Mason's girlfriend: Joyce McMallon."

"It's a pleasure to meet you all." She said politely. "Now, how about we have some dinner. It smells good."

"Of course!" Mia nodded.

In seconds she'd dashed to the kitchen and gotten another set of china and cutlery, setting another place on the table. And then they were all eating.

 **.-.**

An hour later the dinner was almost over, the last part being a small cake, vanilla with cream frosting and an assortment of berries. Mia's favorite.

"So, wonderful meal, company and even dessert." Samuel stated as the slices of cake were handed out. "What are we celebrating?"

"Nothing... yet." Mia murmured, somewhat shyly.

"Mr. Bennett..." Tyler took a deep breath before diving straight in. "... and Mrs. Rosenberg, of course. I wish to ask you for Mia's hand in marriage."

The silence that followed that statement was heavy, and a tension thick enough it could have easily been cut with the same knife they'd used to slice the cake.

"But, you've been together what? A couple of months?" Sienna asked, trying hard to overcome the shock of the statement.

"I know it seems like too short a time, mama." Mia nodded calmly. "But he's my match... he's my soulmate... he's my One."

As if those were some kind of magical words, Sienna's expression changed from the mix of surprise, confusion and doubt to an understanding smile. Samuel and Mia knew why; Sienna had always called Joseph, her husband, her One... she got the significance of her daughter using that very term to refer to Tyler.

"What about your studies, darling?" Sienna wanted to ask.

"I got in touch with the school-board and my tutors to ask for an extension." She explained calmly. "It became necessary when I discovered that the book I've been using as my main source isn't as trustworthy a source as I thought it was."

That was, at least, the public version of the story. It would have been hard to explain that the book had never been officially published, and that the authoress was undead, and as such she couldn't be used as a reference (it'd have defeated the point of calling vampires and the supernatural in general a mass-delusion).

"Oh dear..." Sienna wasn't expecting that. "Will you have to start from scratch?"

"Not quite, I still have other, lesser, sources I can work with." Mia explained. "Also, Damon, Bonnie's husband, suggested that I use the Battle of Willow-Creek as my case of study."

"The Battle of Willow Creek?" Sienna didn't know much about that.

"It's a civil war battle that took place right here in Mystic Falls." Tyler explained. "Back in 1864. There was a lot of unrest and people appearing dead. There were rumors of vampires, and witches and other supernatural creatures. The Founding Families created a council to try and find a solution... in the end it turned out that there was nothing supernatural going on. Mystic Falls had barely 3,000 soldiers stationed to protect it, when the enemy, numbering the 12,000 or so, got too close. The regiment fought them at Willow Creek in an attempt to keep them away the town, after a battle that lasted all day and until nightfall they were eventually successful at driving the enemy out; though the true tragedy was the fire that the confrontation caused accidentally at Fell's Church, where 27 civilians were taking cover. Some claim they weren't actually civilians but deserters and that the church was the true target of the enemy all along, but those are just theories..."

"Then there are those who say that there were actually vampires in the Church..." Mason commented in a drawl.

Joyce kicked his ankle again at that.

"But that's exactly what my thesis is all about!" Mia said theatrically. "The mass-delusion that is the existence of vampires, witches, werewolves and everything else supernatural..."

For a second not a word was said and then.

"Oh my darling girl..." Sienna called in a tone that sounded almost mournful.

"Mama..." Mia didn't understand the tone, and she wasn't sure she liked it.

"I've known for a while that the path you'd chosen to walk on was a narrow one." Sienna murmured quietly. "I feared what that knowledge might do to you. When you told me you were coming to Mystic Falls I knew it was just a matter of time. My only hope was that your uncle Samuel and Bonnie might help you when you learnt the truth."

"So you know then." Mia nodded in realization.

"I am who I am darling, it's in my blood." Sienna said simply.

Yes, she was who she was, just like Samuel, and Mia herself: part of a line of wicca, a Fell (even if very few people knew that).

"What is that supposed to mean?" Joyce asked, tense.

The cryptic conversation was making her anxious and while the full moon had passed, her wolf was still there, always there, in the back of her mind.

"It means that while I may not know what race you belong to, I know that all three of you are, shall we say, more than human." Sienna explained calmly.

The statement thoroughly shocked Tyler.

"How do we know we can trust you?" Mason asked, choosing to be more proactive.

"I suppose that is for you to decide." Sienna nodded. "But know this. Mia has claimed young Tyler as her One, has claimed him as family, that means you're her family as well... and if you're my daughter's family, then you're mine. And we always look after our family..."

Mason nodded solemnly, deciding that was good enough. Joyce, surprisingly, relaxed even more easily than her boyfriend; then again, she'd been a wolf for most of her life, she lived on ideas like pack and the loyalty to it, every level of her understood Sienna's words and the weight behind them. They were enough for her.

"Like your daughter told you, my name is Joyce." The blonde was the one to speak up. "What she didn't tell you is that I am a wolf. My sister Jules and her mate are the alphas of the Yellow-Moon pack, in Florida."

"Does that mean you will be moving there?" Sienna inquired, unsettled.

She'd just left Mississippi to live in Mystic Falls, to be closer to her family, and her daughter would be leaving?

"I hope not." Joyce was completely honest with the woman. "Truth is there are too many packs in Florida, and it is my hope that we'll be able to bring our pack here to Mystic Falls..."

Samuel caught up with the implications of such an idea immediately and turned to his niece:

"When will you be meeting with the others?" He asked, being vague enough not to give away anything, in case the wolves didn't yet know.

"Tomorrow." Mia answered softly. "I've arranged a meeting already, we will all be there."

Samuel's silent look told Mia exactly what he thought about it. She shared those thoughts. They both hoped the meeting would go well, and that it wouldn't end in a bloodbath. Damon wouldn't take the secrecy well, and if the wolves weren't fully in control it wouldn't go well. Still, Mia had hope, they were her family, all of them, and she was bringing them together, as they were supposed to be.

 _And I still believe in the good_

 _And I still believe in the light_

 _And I wanna feel the sun_

 _I wanna free you tonight_

* * *

I know things are moving a lot faster now, and that's more or less intentional. In relation to the Tyler/Mia pairing (Tia, a reader called the ship)... I see it as the two of them having fallen in love, and then his wolf (and perhaps even her own magic) sort of confirming their compatibility, which in turn pushed them to taking their relationship to that level so fast. No one's manipulating them, or forcing them, it's still their choice. Under normal circumstances I'd have drawn this out longer, but I just didn't have the mind or the inspiration to make this fic go on for more than it will (22 or 23 chaps... I forget the exact number). Also, pay attention to the times mentioned, just in this single chapter a week passed from the first scene to the last; likewise in others I've mentioned the passing of days to months... so there are moments where more time might have passed than you'd first think.

So... yeah, that's it for today. See ya next week (with the fallout for this one... and a hell of a lot more!).


	19. Water and Blood

Hello! So here we have it, the aftermath of the little engagement, and a group growing (Mystic Falls won't know what hit it!). Also, for those who might or might not have been waiting for this... Isobel is here! And she's bringing a few revelations and a whole lot of trouble with her! Family bonds put to the test, in the end, what is thicker, water or blood?

* * *

 **Chapter 18. Water and Blood**

Bonnie was the first to see his cousin as she stepped into the clearing. No one was sure when exactly the ruins of the old Salvatore manor had become the defacto meeting place when it came to serious things (and to introducing strangers to the Clan), but there they were. The Bennett witch was also the first one to notice the necklace-of-sorts Mia was wearing: with the mixed green and red of wintergreen and tiny white lemon-flowers. The smell was all on her cousin's skin, surpassing her usual vanilla body-wash and wild-berries scented shampoo.

"Mia?" Bonnie's call made everyone turned their attention to the younger girl.

Even with everything else, Caroline was still the first to notice a certain ring on a certain finger on Mia's left hand...

"Oh my god!" She shrieked.

The vampires actually cringed at her volume and Mia mentally apologized to her beloved, even with the full-moon past that couldn't have been kind to his ears... or to the others'.

"Cous..." Bonnie seemed to be speechless. "Are you really...?"

"Yes." Mia nodded, a bright smile on her face. "Tyler proposed on Wednesday, and he asked for my hand last night."

"Dad actually gave his permission?" Bonnie couldn't quite believe it.

"He did." Mia nodded. "He knows this is no passing fancy, for either of us."

Bonnie could believe it wasn't a passing fancy for her cousin, but she'd seen Tyler hooking up with a different girl every other week...

"I know what you're thinking cous' but please, trust me." Mia pressed.

"Oh, we trust you alright, cannot say we trust him." Damon put in his two cents.

"It wasn't just Uncle Sam who gave his permission." Mia pushed onto the next point in the list. "Mama too..."

"Aunt Sienna...?!" Bonnie was beyond shocked by that point. "But how...?"

"She's here Bon." Mia told her, she was almost crying, just remembering the surprise of the previous night. "And not as a visit either. Uncle Sam convinced her to move to Mystic Falls permanently. She already sold the old-house and brought all her things."

"How come I didn't know about this?" Bonnie asked, half-confused and half-hurt.

"It was a surprise, for both of us." Mia told her. "She'd have told you herself, but I told her I needed to meet with you today to talk, about this..." she signaled to the ring on her hand.

"Yes, lets go back to that." Damon nodded. "And how I'm going to have to go and put the fear of... well, me, in that brat's head, make sure he treat you right."

"You cannot do that, Damon!" Elena snapped at him, adding a slap to his stomach for good measure, though her chastising lost power with her half-hidden giggle. "You cannot scare Tyler, he doesn't even know about any of us..."

Everyone turned their eyes straight back to me as dots were connected very fast, they suddenly had a very good idea what Mia had called that meeting for.

"That's what I called this meeting for." Mia confirmed. "Tyler is gonna be my family, and that means something to me..."

"It means something to us too Mia..." Stefan assured.

"I'm still not sure it's a good idea." Damon stated, almost at the same time.

"I want to bring them in." Mia insisted.

"Wait... them?"Jeremy interrupted, somehow being the first to pick up on that part.

"You don't mean..." Caroline began shaking her head like crazy. "You cannot mean to bring his mother in. It'd be crazy! It'd be like my mom finding out and..."

"No, I do not mean Tyler's mom." Mia cut her off.

"His uncle then." Jeremy realized. "Are you sure it's a good idea?"

"They're already here, aren't they?" Bonnie said suddenly.

That made everyone freeze (some so thoroughly it was almost eerie).

For all answer Mia gave several steps backwards, almost to the edge of the clearing, at the same time Tyler, Mason and Joyce stepped out of the trees. They vaguely heard the blonde woman asking where exactly they were, but no one was paying much attention to her.

"They are my family, as much as you are." Mia stated as she brought a hand to the odd herb-necklace she was wearing. "I want all of my family to be together."

She tore the herbs off her neck.

As if it were some kind of supernatural cue, the wind shifted right then. A second later two vampires, one witch and one huntress were tense and on guard. Caroline herself was tense, though it was hard to know if it was caused by what she was picking up from the Lockwoods, or from everyone else's reactions. The oddest, however, was Elena, as she cocked her head sideways, never taking her eyes off the group; it was as if she too could somehow tell they were different, but not what the exact difference was.

"They are Family." Mia stated, imbuing each word with all the power she could call on, without pulling on Bonnie's own.

"There's no way..." Damon shook her head almost wildly in denial. "There's just no way our little wicca has been cavorting with mutts and we didn't know about it!"

"She was wearing lemon flowers and wintergreen." Bonnie pointed out, as she realized the significance of the herbs herself. "She's been purposefully blocking her scent... before today neither of us had been anywhere close to Mason Lockwood and his girlfriend and Tyler..."

"He's been absent from school all week." Stefan pointed out, seeing where she was going. "And he obviously hasn't been a wolf for long, we'd have known otherwise."

That helped Damon relax, if only slightly. Two of the wolves were from out of town and the other probably had had his first full moon just earlier that week... and they'd had Mia's help in keeping them concealed. At least that meant they were not getting sloppy, when it came to knowing who and what was in their town.

"Are you sure Amelia?" Bonnie asked pointedly, the use of her cousin's full-name showing just how serious the question actually was.

"With everything I am." Mia nodded. "He's to me, what Damon is to you."

The elder Salvatore snorted at that, muttering something under his breath about there being no way wither of the mutts could ever be as dashingly handsome as him... before eventually dissolving into cursing in Italian and another choice languages.

"So, I suppose these means we're all on the same page now?" Jeremy inquired.

"Not quite yet." Elena pointed out.

"I still have no idea who the hell all of you are." Mason pointed out.

"Oh..." Damon interrupted his own cursing as something else occurred to him. "That means I do get to threaten the wannabe-groom after all! Awesome..."

To make a point he allowed his face to change (showing his game-face, Jeremy called it, to which Damon had pointed out he was nowhere as gross as the wannabe bloodsuckers in Buffy... to everyone else's laughter... first Damon was reading Twilight, and then to learn he'd also watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer?!). Tyler and Mason both froze; though Joyce's reaction was much more visceral.

"A vampire!" She snarled, half in fury, half in badly-disguised fear. She turned to Mia. "You cavort with vampires!"

"Please!" Mia called, trying to calm her down. "Please Joyce, you've trusted me this long. I know it's a lot to ask, but I promise you he won't hurt you. No one here will ever hurt any of you. I swear..."

"You have no idea what you're asking." Joyce practically spat. "Vampires and werewolves are natural enemies..."

"You mean like vampires and hunters?" Jeremy called cheekily from his spot. "Because I have to point that the Saltzman's here are hunters and, well, nobody's died here yet."

"And what about you boy?" Mason asked, intrigued. "What are you?"

"100% human, I'm afraid." Jeremy shrugged good-naturedly. "Though technically I suppose I belong to a line of vampire-hunters myself."

Damon snorted, loudly. He did still remember Johnathan Gilbert...

"The point I'm trying to make." Jeremy went on. "Is that we're all connected here. Tyler to Mia, Mia to Bonnie, Bonnie to Damon, Damon to Stefan, Stefan to Elena, Elena to me... and that's just for a start. It doesn't matter what power we might or might not have. We're family, and nothing will ever be stronger than that."

Nothing, not even other so-called family.

 **.-.**

Things went much better once the tension was past. Each person in the clearing (on both sides) introduced themselves, gave a brief history of themselves, focusing on what brought them to be part of the group. Joyce still thought it was absolutely insane: witches, vampires, hunters, humans... and whatever else Caroline and Elena might be (because Joyce knew, instinctively, that she wasn't quite human, even less than the blonde girl); so many different individuals, different creatures, calling each other family. It was insane. It should have been impossible... and yet somehow it worked. She had no idea how, but it did.

It was quite obvious who the Alphas of the group were, despite there being at least a few adults (she was counting the pup's mother and uncle, even if they weren't in that meeting); there was no doubt that the true ringleaders of it all were the Bennett-Salvatore pair: Bonnie and Damon, a witch and a vampire...

No mention was made that day of Joyce's future plans. On one side because the blonde she-wolf wanted to first get to know everyone in the 'Clan' better, before truly considering taking her pack to Mystic Falls. On the other because something told her she'd need to get their trust before they'd ever consider accepting them all as permanent inhabitants of Mystic Falls.

The funniest part was that Joyce had overheard members of the so-called Secret Council getting together and arguing about the supernatural and the things they had to do... acting as if they had everything under control. They had no idea. If anyone had true power in that town, it was that group. They may not have chosen to truly exercise it yet, but the day would come.

The meeting was beginning to wind down, after several hours when Bonnie started abruptly.

"Bonnie...?" Several people called, concerned.

"Vampire..." Bonnie breathed out, fully processing things, before abruptly turning to Elena. "There's a vampire at your place Elena."

Nothing else needed to be said, some things were quite obvious. While Bonnie and Grams had never been able to find a spell to 'uninvite' a vampire; in the end they had decided it wasn't really necessary. The boarding house was under Bonnie's name. Aside from that Bonnie had set wards around the homes of each member of their eclectic family; and while they couldn't stop anyone from entering; it'd allow her to know when anyone dangerous had entered. It was how she knew in that moment that an unknown vampire was at the Gilbert place; one who wasn't among those they trusted (because the only ones were the Salvatores, and they were right there); additionally, said vampire had to have been invited, and while it was possible it was Anna (whom Jeremy had invited before knowing the truth about it all), the biggest chance was that it was some other, and for it to have been invited, it meant Jenna had to have done it (John knew better). Bottom line, Jenna was quite possibly in danger and they needed to get to the Gilbert home asap!

 **.-.**

Jenna was looking through the fridge, pondering on what she had and whether she should even bother making something for dinner when Elena wouldn't be home and it was highly unlikely Jeremy would eat at home. She'd always known that children were supposed to grow and with Elena and Jeremy coming to her already as teenagers it would happen even faster... still, she hadn't thought it would happen before they at least went off to college; and while Elena was nearly there, Jeremy was a year younger than her, and Jenna didn't forget how badly off he'd been just six months earlier.

Contrary to popular belief among teenagers, their adult guardians weren't stupid. Jenna most certainly wasn't, and while she might fake ignorance in many ways, she had eyes. She knew Elena would sometimes slip outside her bedroom and out of the house after dark, before the two of them had ever talked about her spending the weekends with her boyfriend. She knew that Stefan had spent more than a couple of nights in her bedroom. Jenna also knew that Jeremy had had company in his bedroom a number of nights during the previous summer. And that he'd done drugs more than a few times. Though, one thing she had to admit, was that she had no idea how Jeremy had managed to pretty much quit cold-turkey after Halloween.

The woman was still wondering on what she should do, and close to deciding on phoning Alaric and proposing that they had dinner and maybe a movie or something (the last thing she needed was to end up dinning with no one but John for company... again) when, unexpectedly, the doorbell rang.

By the time Jenna fully processed how odd it was for anyone to be ringing the doorbell (John had a key, Alaric tended to ring her on her phone when he arrived, Elena's and Jeremy's friends might be the kind to ring or knock, but they were all out doing... whatever), she was already opening the door. On the other side she found a woman in a black blazer, with hair of a brown so dark it looked actually black and muddy-brown eyes.

"Hello...?" Jenna was confused. "Who are you?"

"Hello, you must be Jenna Sommers, correct?" The woman asked in a polite yet somewhat cold tone. "I'm looking for my daughter..."

"I have no idea what makes you believe..." Jenna began, before being interrupted.

"I know Miranda and Grayson kept her when I left." The woman stated before finally saying things as they were. "My name is Isobel Flemming, Elena is my daughter... is she here? I'd like to talk to her."

"I... oh..." Jenna was completely speechless in shock. "You're Elena's mother..."

"Yes, that's what I said." Isobel was a tad annoyed, but Jenna didn't pick up on that. "Will you let me in? I'd really like to meet my daughter after all these years..."

"I... yes, come in." Jenna waved her in vaguely, before remembering something else. "Elena isn't here right now. She spends most weekends at her boyfriend's place."

"What...?! Why?!" Isobel clearly wasn't expecting that. "She's just a child, she shouldn't be..."

Jenna's mind snapped back as she clearly perceived the judgment in the older woman's voice as she said those words. Isobel, if that was really her name, if she was really Elena's birth-mother, was questioning Jenna's parenting methods, and while Jenna would be the first to admit she was probably not the best parent-figure in the world, and she certainly had had no experience before getting two surly teenagers as her wards (and there were days when she honestly believed that someone else, anyone else, would have done a much better job than her... except maybe John); still, Jeremy and Elena were hers, they were Jenna's. Isobel hadn't wanted Elena when she was a baby, so what gave her the right to appear out of nowhere and make demands about her?!

"Excuse me, who do you think you are to come and make judgments and about Elena and the way she's being raised?" Jenna snapped at the woman. "You might be her birth-mother, if you are, indeed, who you claim to be. But if you are, you gave up Elena a long time ago. Miranda was her mother, and you will never be able to change that. And you know what? That was your choice, not theirs." She didn't allow Isobel to say a word. "Now, Elena's not a child. She's at an age when she can make her own choices, something Miranda supported wholeheartedly, as do I, of course."

"Spending weekends with her boyfriend?" Isobel scoffed.

"Considering that she's leaving for college in the Fall, and most likely will be living with him, I don't see why not." Jenna shrugged. "Besides, it's not like Stefan is a bad boy. He's actually very good. And it's not like they're completely alone; Stefan's brother and sister-in-law live in the same house. Elena considers both of them close friends."

Something in Jenna's words seemed to make Isobel's hackles rise; and while the Sommers woman had no supernatural senses she knew, instinctively, that something was very wrong with Isobel Flemming. She stepped back.

As the dark-blonde, hazel eyed woman gave a single step backwards, Isobel stopped. She could see she was scaring her; and while that didn't actually bother her, she knew that hurting Jenna Sommers in any way could only hurt her goal of getting to Elena, of talking to her, and convincing her of a few very important things... like leaving Mystic Falls and its supernatural population behind before it was too late.

"You really don't know, do you?" Isobel asked suddenly, giving a step back herself as sh looked Jenna over slowly. "You have no idea..."

"What are you talking about?" Jenna didn't understand.

"You have no idea of the kind of people, of creatures, that surround you, and Elena..." Isobel looked like she might break into hysterical laughter any moment. "You have no idea of what her boyfriend is...?"

Jenna couldn't quite think of the right words to reply to that, but in the end it wasn't necessary, for someone else did.

"That is none of your business."

Jenna and Isobel turned instantly, to find Elena standing at the door, with Stefan on her right and Jeremy on her left; Bonnie and Damon were behind her, and the young witch was almost glowing with the residual energy of the teleportation spell she'd used to get all of them to the Gilbert house in seconds. They'd decided they were too far and Jenna was too much at risk; Alaric, Itziar, Caroline, Mia, Tyler, Mason and Joyce would be driving the cars to them.

"Elena..." Isobel murmured, turning completely to face the young woman.

"What are you doing here Isobel?" Elena demanded, not giving her a chance to say more than her name.

"I came looking for you Elena..." The 'birth-mother' began.

To Jenna's surprise, her niece actually snorted at that. She didn't understand. So that really was Elena's birth-mother? And her niece knew her? Why hadn't she known that?

"We need to talk, Elena..." Isobel began, then revised, after seeing all who were surrounding the young woman. "Alone."

"There was a time when I was interested in meeting you, an interest you didn't share." Elena pointed out calmly. "I went looking for you, did all I could. You didn't care. You had no interest in meeting me. Didn't care to so much as talk to me, instead sending a messenger..." she cut herself off, remembering with painful clarity what had become of that messenger. "Why should I care about what you want now?"

"I'm your mother..." Isobel tried to convince her.

"Miranda Gilbert was my mother, may she rest in peace." The blue-eyed Gilbert retorted. "You are nothing to me."

"I am..." Isobel's words were lost in the exclamation of the newest arrival:

"Izzie?!"

Everyone turned to a side instantly, to find none other than John, standing on the stairs... they hadn't even known he was in the house!

"John...?" Isobel was obviously as shocked by his presence as he was by hers.

"What the hell are you doing here?" John snapped. "Who even let you into this house?!"

At least that solved the interrogation of whether he knew or not what she was...

"Jenna very kindly let me in when I explained to her who I am, and how I need to talk to Elena, in private." Isobel replied, as if it were that simple.

"I told you already that I have no idea what you want with me, nor do I care." Elena spat. "Your last message reached me loud and clear. I have no interest in knowing you anymore. Miranda and Grayson Gilbert were my parents, the only parents I'll ever want or need!"

"Elena..." Isobel's tone turned colder than ice and harder than stone. "You will talk to me or..."

"Or what?" Elena challenged, shifting her stance into a more alert one. "You so much as think of threatening anyone in my family and I'll take you down myself."

The decision was made in a fraction of second and, somehow, Elena was the first to see the change in Isobel as she threw herself into attack.

"Jeremy! Jenna!" Elena cried out.

The two words were enough, in a second her brother was standing protectively in front of their aunt. He had some basic training as a hunter. The boy had known it would be important and had been very diligent with everything John was willing to teach him until the moment the mess with the Gilbert device forced him into revealing his true loyalty.

Still, Elena had never planned on having Jeremy fight. Even as she was calling the two names the blue-eyed girl was already on the move. She calculated Isobel's moves as best she was able in the fraction of a second she had, even as she pulled one of her chopsticks from her hair. The female vampire stopped abruptly when she found her daughter blocking her path; though the truly shocking part was when she found the piece of wood piercing low on her right shoulder.

"You try it again, next one I won't miss." Elena stated.

Only those who truly knew Elena, who had seen her train for months, who had trained her, would ever know if she had truly missed that stab, or if she'd been aiming for Isobel's shoulder from the start.

John only watched the developments in silence, and while he would never admit it out-loud, he could see that Elena had some ability, potential as a huntress (as a Gilbert). Also, it would seem like dating one of the undead hadn't made her completely blind to the malice in the creatures of the night.

In any case, they didn't have time for that. Jenna was shrieking like a banshee, calling them all insane, demanding explanations, and basically ranting everything she could think of.

Elena eyed Stefan, Damon and Bonnie quickly, making sure they had everything under control before very purposefully turning his back on Isobel to focus on Jenna.

"Jenna... Jenna, Jenna, Jenna" She called, and kept trying until she had the woman's attention. "Jenna, look at me. Look at me, please."

"What's going on Elena?" Hazel eyes focused on blue ones as the woman finally made the all-important question.

"I know this is a lot to process right now Jenna, but I need you to listen to me, and I need you to believe me, to trust me." Elena stated quietly and very seriously. "Can you do that?"

Jenna nodded quietly, waiting.

"Remember all the seemingly outrageous things John is always saying? All the things written in Johnathan Gilbert's journals? About vampires, witches, the supernatural..."

Jenna nodded again. A part of her probably knew already what was coming, and yet her mind refused to process it, she wanted to hear it from Elena.

"It's all true." There, she'd said it.

"That's not possible." The dark-blonde went into denial. "Elena..."

"I really cannot explain things to you right now." Her niece told her kindly. "I promise you, once this is all over we will sit down and talk. I will explain everything... We, we will explain everything to you. But right now I need you to trust me a little longer. Let us protect you."

Jenna looked straight at her, then at Jeremy, standing on guard in front of her, a hunting knife in his hand (and she didn't want to even think where he'd gotten that from), ready to protect her. They were both ready to fight for her...

"You know, I'm the adult here." Jenna pointed out in a small voice. "I'm the one who's supposed to be protecting you."

"And you have, many times, now's our turn." Elena assured her. "Everything will be alright."

"Yes, it will." Jenna believed in her, in both of them. "And once this is over, we will have words. About everything you've been hiding from me. Everything."

Once sure that her aunt would be alright (even if she was sure the conversation they were due would be anything but easy), Elena turned back to face Isobel.

"I want you out of my house, now." She ordered, with all the authority she was capable of.

She might not have been an all-powerful vampire, an experienced vampire-hunter, a fearsome werewolf or the most powerful witch ever... but she had the support of all those individuals, and a few more. Elena Gilbert could do anything with that kind of support.

Isobel pulled the thin would-be stake from her arm rather violently before attempting to step forward. The reaction was instantaneous as all the teenagers (and young-looking vampires) braced themselves for a fight, only for the cocking of a gun to interrupt them all.

It was John. He was still standing on the same step he'd been since revealing himself; only his hands were no longer empty; he was holding what looked like a revolver; one they all knew, without a doubt, must be filled with wooden bullets.

"John...?" Isobel sounded honestly shocked as she turned fully to face the eldest Gilbert.

"Leave now, Isobel." John ordered stoically. "Whether you do it on your own two feet, or with your corpse being dragged out and a bullet in your heart will make no difference to me, though I suppose you'd rather do it on your own feet."

"Oh but you won't shoot me Johnny..." Isobel said, in a sweet (almost sickeningly so) tone.

Jenna winced at some half-forgotten memory only she could remember, while the rest could only watch the scene in shocked silence. Jeremy and Elena in particular could have never imagined calling their uncle 'Johnny'...

"Really, and why not?" John challenged darkly. "And if your intent is to try and call on our past... 'dalliances' I would suggest you think twice, whore. I might have taken pity on you when I found you taking advantage of Grayson's compassion and Miranda's desire to have a child, but this time there's no one here to stay my hand, Isobel. This is the last warning you'll be getting. Leave, leave and don't even think about coming back."

"This has nothing to do with you Johnny." Isobel insisted, beginning to talk just a little bit faster, obviously taking John's threat very seriously. "I'm here out of concern for the safety of my daughter... of our daughter..."

No reaction followed that statement; mostly because people were either in absolute denial, or their minds had completely blanked in shock. The only one who reacted was John, he lowered his gun (though he didn't put in away) and pretty much stalked down the remaining stairs and straight to Isobel.

"Don't lie to me!" He practically roared in her face. "You slut! Your bastard daughter is not mine, she couldn't have been."

"She is." Isobel stated, oddly calm before his fury.

"You're a slut!" John insisted. "Were sleeping around..."

"I wasn't..." Isobel began.

"You told me the baby wasn't mine!"

All eyes turned to John at those words, and beyond that, at the tone of voice with which he'd pronounced them. So raw... so hurt...

"You told me you couldn't have children." Isobel reminded him. "Trudie warned me, told me to stay away from you. I should have listened to her. But I was young and so dazzled by you, by everything I thought you were... the young, handsome, well-educated gentleman, rich heir of a good family. Trudie said you were cold, anti-social; but I convinced myself that you were like that only because you hadn't met the right girl yet... that I could change you. I befriended you, got you to trust me, you even shared your family secret with me! I gave you all of me! And then you went and told me that what we had meant nothing to you, that I'd never be anything more than a good lay to you. Because you would never marry, never have children, all because of your so-called family legacy! How was I to tell you I was pregnant after that? It was completely accidental that I ended at your family house, with your brother and sister-in-law. Though in the end I decided it was only right. I was too young to give that baby a good life, and they were good people. At least Grayson wasn't as obsessed as you!"

No one knew what to say to that, no one at all.

"You know you're the whole reason I got interested in vampires?" Isobel went on. "I wanted to know what was so great about them that would make you give up a chance at a life with me, with our daughter... Never imagined everything I'd find out, not just about vampires, but about your family, and mine..." She shook her head once. "For years I wondered what it'd be like if I were to one day come back. To her, to you... would you accept me by your side if I could be useful to your 'great mission'? Of course, I excised those stupid dreams a long time ago. Right now all I care about is Elena, keeping her safe."

It had been such an amazing impassioned speech... and yet through it all there hadn't been an ounce on emotion in her voice. Each word pronounced tonelessly, completely matter-of-factly.

"She's flipped the switch." Stefan said, as if reading Elena's mind.

"What does that mean?" It was Jeremy who asked the question.

"As a vampire you feel everything more intensely than humans do." Stefan explained. "Anger becomes rage; when you're sad, you're in despair. Grief, loss, such emotions when felt with that kind of intensity can cripple you. And so, some vampires choose to simply not feel at all. They switch off their emotions, their humanity..." He turned his eyes to Isobel once again. "That's what Isobel's done. It's why she seems to not react to anything. She flipped her switch. She literally cannot feel a thing right now."

"No I can't." Isobel stated, having heard their little conversation without problem. "And it's perfect. Why would I want to feel anything? Caring is not an advantage, love is nothing but a weakness. And I'm not weak. I'm a vampire!"

Several people had strong opinions concerning that, but no one said a word.

"She's my daughter..." It was John, speaking for the first time since being faced with what was probably the biggest shock in his life.

"Yes, she is." Isobel nodded calmly. "And now you need to be on my side. I need to talk to her. That's the whole reason why I'm here."

"Elena..." John began.

"What?" The blue-eyed brunette couldn't help but snapping.

"Listen to me..." John began.

"Why should I?" Elena cut him off. "When until just a few days ago I was nothing but a bitch, the daughter of a whore? You've insulted me in any way you could my whole life and now you expect everything to change? Simply because she said you're my father? I don't care about either of you. Whether you're my parents or complete strangers, it means exactly the same to me: nothing at all."

"Elena... please..." John insisted, and there was actually a note of pleading in his voice.

And in that moment, for the first time since listening to John disparage her for her parentage (or at least since remembering it), Elena considered the possible reasons. The chance that it might not be her that he truly hated, or who he thought she wasn't, could have been; the connection he didn't know she did have to him... as his daughter.

"I will listen." She conceded, to everyone's surprise.

"Elena!" Not everyone liked the idea.

"But the talking is happening right here." Elena finished. "I am willing to listen, but I'm not willing to go anywhere with you." She signaled around. "These people are my family and whatever you wish to say to me can be said before them."

Isobel didn't seem to like it, but perhaps she realized that it was the best she was going to get, so she agreed.

With some tensions still, the group eventually settled in the living room. Elena was sitting on one of the couches, having pulled Stefan and Jenna to sit at her sides, while Jeremy took a seat on the ground, before his aunt, all the while twirling the hunting knife between his fingers. Bonnie was on an armchair, with Damon half-sitting on the arm-rest beside her. John was on another sofa, beside Isobel (though neither of them looked particularly happy about that fact). Meanwhile the rest of the group had arrived: Alaric was standing beside the biggest couch, an arm on Jenna's shoulder and studiously ignoring Isobel's presence, while Itziar had sat on the floor, beside Jeremy; Caroline, Mia and Tyler had taken places on a few chairs they'd pulled from the kitchen; while Mason and Joyce stood against the wall behind them.

"Now, talk." Elena stated, deciding someone needed to say something before the silence got too heavy and drowned them all.

"You need to leave Mystic Falls." Isobel stated bluntly.

"What?!" That wasn't what she'd been expecting. "Why would I ever wanna do that?"

"Really...?" Isobel shook her head the same way one would when dealing with a little and petulant child. "Look around you Elena! This wasn't the kind of life I envisioned for you when I gave you up. Even if Grayson didn't quite believe the way John did, I knew he and Miranda would keep you safe. Do you think they'd support this insanity you have going on here? Vampires and werewolves and witches..."

It looked like Damon was about to snap, but he never got the chance.

"They're my family!" Elena reminded Isobel pointedly. "Something I should remind you, you refused to be. Not only when you gave me up almost eighteen years ago, but also when you sent that compelled messenger to stop me from looking for you. You didn't care for knowing me then, for what might have happened..." She remembered something else then. "Besides, I wouldn't be alive if it weren't for them! Did you know that? If it weren't for Stefan I wouldn't even be alive right now!"

"What?!" It was John who cried out then. "What are you talking about?"

"I would like to know that too." Jenna offered.

"Well, you all know that when my parents' van went off the bridge last year, I was with them." Elena began, taking a deep breath and drawing strength from the presence of her family all around her. "I was in the back seat. We went off the bridge and deep into the river, and the water was getting in very fast. I recovered consciousness while down there, as did Dad. Mom never woke up... Dad tried to open the door, break a window, something, but nothing worked. I'd hit my head against the window and had a hard time thinking straight... lost consciousness again right as we ran out of oxygen..." She swallowed the sob, remembering the last time she'd seen her parents, how she'd held onto her dad's hands until darkness engulfed her. "I thought I'd never open my eyes again..."

"But you're alive!" Jenna pointed out. "You got out!"

"I'm alive, but I didn't get out." Elena corrected. "Not on my own."

For several seconds no one said a word; until eventually Stefan decided to say his part, realizing Elena was too lost in the memory, the grief, to get the words out.

"I was in Mystic Falls." He stated as calmly as he could. "I came every few years. To see Zack, to see my old home... I was hunting in the Old Wood... it was a complete coincidence that I was even that close to Wickery Bridge, enough to hear the car go off it. Usually I avoid roads when I'm hunting, not wanting to risk humans." he shook his head. "The point is, I heard the accident, and I went to see what was going on. When I realized that no one was coming out I dove in. Saw the man, awake, trying to break a window, was about to force the door open to help him out... until he signaled me not to, he pointed behind him, at the girl on the back seat. His daughter... he wanted me to save her instead of him..." He shook his head to push aside the memory. "By the time she was on the riverbank and I was sure she'd make it, it was too late, both of Elena's parents had drowned."

"You saved her..." John breathed out in absolute shock. "You..."

Stefan just nodded, he didn't see what else needed to be said.

They couldn't have known it, but all of John's beliefs were being challenged in that moment. He'd been raised believing in vampires as creatures of darkness, of evil, of death, monsters that needed to be slayed... and to learn that one such being was the only reason his daughter was still alive (nevermind that he'd just found out that Elena was his child, or that, if he'd heard the story earlier he'd have probably been angry that the vampire hadn't saved Grayson instead...).

"You still need to leave Mystic Falls." Isobel insisted.

And just like that, the moment was broken.

"Why?" Jeremy asked, curious. "Why is it so important that Elena leave?"

"Because it's the only way to guarantee her survival." Isobel dropped the bomb.

Everyone began talking following that declaration, and soon it'd devolved into shouts and demands and such that it was impossible for anyone to make out more than one word of every five or so. Until a loud bang quieted them all.

"Enough!" Bonnie ordered.

"Who?" Damon demanded Isobel almost straight away. "Who is after Elena?"

"You cannot be that blind, Damon Salvatore..." Isobel drawled. "Remember what you told me, two and a half years ago?"

"That you were being stupid, making too much fuss about the supernatural and it was going to get you killed..." Damon began in a boring tone, only to break off abruptly.

He realized it then, what Isobel was insinuating, and he wasn't the only one. All who'd been present during that first 'clan meeting' when the truce was reached, remembered it quite clearly. Everything that had been said, about the risks, and the Old Ones...

"Indeed." Isobel nodded. "You could see it so clearly back then, but now... now you're so close to the situation, it's made you blind. The word's out."

"What kind of word?" Stefan was sure he wasn't going to like it.

"According to some vampire-gal I met in Georgia, word was out that it was open-season here in Mystic Falls." Isobel began.

No one needed her to clarify who had gotten that kind of word out, it was obvious enough.

"Frederick..." Damon hissed between clenched teeth.

"Covens in New Orleans, New Salem, and all the way to Phoenix, Arizona are all whispering about the witch who supposedly vanquished two dozen vampires with a single spell." Isobel went on. "There are rumors that Qetsiyah's Heiress has been born..."

"Wait a second." Bonnie cut her off. "Qetsiyah's heiress?"

"Who's Qetsiyah?" Mia inquired at the same time.

"One of the original witches." Isobel answered with a shrug.

"In your book, you talked about a Nathair, but no Qetsiyah." Mia insisted.

"It's the difference between vampires and witches... and werewolves." Isobel explained, giving no true importance to the information. "The last two are beings that follow the rules of nature, for the most part, they were created as such. Even if some stray from that path, they're mortal and as such will one day die... at least most of them. Vampires go against nature, putting a sort of life where there should be none. They can be destroyed, that's something nature made sure of, to keep the imbalance under control as much as it could. In any case, it is said that while witches and werewolves came to be the same as normal humans, such did not happen with vampires. It all started with one, and even the vampires do not know where he came from."

"That's true." Damon agreed. "Some say he's called Klaus, though if that's his actual name or one that's been made up is impossible to know. He's mostly known as the Original, the First Vampire. Legend says he's as old as the human race, some actually believe he might have been here before humans themselves..." He shook his head. "That still doesn't explain what that has to do with Elena."

"But it's not really about Elena, don't you see?" Caroline piped up, then amended. "Well, for her it is, because all she cares about in her unfeeling-heart is Elena... but in reality it's about all of us, about all of Mystic Falls."

"Caroline is right." Elena nodded. "You're the one who warned us all about calling to much attention to us, to this town. About what might happen if the Old Ones found out."

"Except the rumors are already out, and sooner or later they will reach them... the Old Ones... and Klaus." Stefan added, understanding where his beloved was going.

"And if they reach him, it won't be good." Caroline took over, having been one of the first to realize it. "If he decides that secrecy is at stake... it won't be just our lives on the line, or our families, or even the Secret Council... it'll be everyone. The whole town."

"Well, what then?" Tyler demanded, getting on his feet. "You're all talking about disaster and death and tragedy... what are we going to do to stop it?"

"I don't know if there's anything we can do." Mia admitted. "With the rumors already out..."

"That's why Elena needs to get out of town, now." Isobel insisted, turning to look at the blue-eyed brunette. "I've made enough contacts in the last couple of years. I can help you get a new name, a new identity, you can start over somewhere new. Somewhere safe..."

"No!" Elena shook her head vehemently. "I'm not going anywhere. Especially not without my family! I'm not leaving them!"

"Don't you see?!" Isobel snapped at her. "They're the ones putting your life in danger."

"It's my choice, and I choose to stay." Elena insisted stubbornly.

"I am your mother and I'm trying to make you understand, this is for the best..." Isobel refused to give up, turning to John for support. "John, tell her!"

"You ought to listen to us Elena." John did try his best. "I know you care for all these in-humans, but we're your true family, by blood; and in the end, blood is thicker than water."

Before Elena could even think of a reply to that, a snort was heard, drawing all eyed to Mia who shrunk back at the attention.

"Something in my words seems funny to you, little girl?" John asked, patronizingly.

Something in either his words, his tone, or maybe the sum of everything that had happened that day made Mia snap. She sat up straight, looking John in the eye with not an ounce of doubt, or nervousness, or fear as she spoke.

"Actually yes." She stated evenly. "I find it ever so funny when people like you, who believe themselves so important, so powerful, use old proverbs in an attempt to seem more clever than they actually are. Especially when they misuse said proverbs. In this case, you said that blood is thicker than water, intending to say that Elena should put you and Isobel above the rest of us, blood-relatives above friends... however, that's not what the proverb is about at all." she took a deep breath before going to the point: "The original proverb says: 'The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb'... those you've chosen to stand by, to fight beside and bleed with and for, they will always be more important than any family you might have been born with, those you did not choose... You don't need to think hard to tell who's connected by water and who by blood in this scenario..."

John was left absolutely speechless by that.

There were several loud guffaws around the room at that. The idea of petite, delicate-looking Mia being able to knock John a peg or two down... it was awesome.

"As... enlightening as the little sparrow's words are." Damon laced his voice with just a tiny hint of sarcasm, just enough for those not-family to be unable to realize how much Mia's words had touched him. "In the end all the worry is pointless."

"The Old Ones will come, possibly even Klaus himself!" Isobel insisted.

"You've been a vampire for barely two years Isobel, you've yet to grasp how time runs for one who's lived as long as the Old Ones." Even Damon himself was much too young, practically a child, compared to them. "For them a day is a second and a year a day... by the time they decide to investigate Mystic Falls this whole mess will be long past."

And just like that Isobel lost the argument; not that it would have made a difference in the end; Elena had been ready to stand her ground, she wasn't leaving her family, not that day, not ever.

 _And I still believe in the good_

 _And I still believe in the light_

 _And I wanna feel the sun_

 _I wanna free you tonight_

* * *

While I have no plan on doing things exactly as they were done in the tv-show (no way! I pretty much hate the show, have for years now! Except for some plotlines and moments), I'm sure you all realize that this not the end of Isobel and the troubles she can cause... More is coming.

We're heading straight to climax (less than five chapters to go people!)

Don't forget to leave review (tell me your theories, what do you think is coming? *Hint* You all do remember Bonnie's dream from the end of PoH, right?)

See ya next week!


	20. Shadow Mirror

Guess who's back?! (evil cackle follows...) Hint: I don't mean me.

* * *

 **Chapter 19. Shadow Mirror**

No one saw Isobel again after her failure at convincing Elena to leave Mystic Falls. Though the group still took precautions, The girl kept wearing her necklace with vervain, with a spell to prevent anyone other than her (or Bonnie, as the caster of the spell) from taking it off (she still refused to drink or eat anything with the herb. Damon and Stefan had also insisted on the humans never being alone, just in case.

It was almost ironic, but after how messily things had started, a lot actually got much better after the bunch of reveals from that day. Jenna knew the truth, she accepted it, and while she didn't exactly like the fact that everyone in her life had been keeping secrets from her, she accepted that that was exactly the kind of children Grayson and Miranda had raised them to be (in the case of Elena and Jeremy). With Alaric, he was brutally honest with her and confessed his fear that the whole supernatural-reveal might make him lose her, and he wasn't sure he could have taken it, not after what had happened with Isobel. In the end not only he hadn't lost Jenna, but he'd moved into the Gilbert place officially. There were no talks of wedding or even an engagement yet, but then again, there was no rush.

So after all was said and done, Caroline was the only one with a significant other still out of the loop. She didn't like it, but she was just so terrified of losing him, that she kept postponing that particular talk over and over again. Everyone told her it was a bad idea, but Caroline simply refused to listen to reason.

Aside from that, things seemed to be going pretty well. Finals were coming, preparations for the senior prom on the 17th of June, and then the graduation the following week. The humans could hardly believe it was all coming to an end... all except Jeremy, Itziar and Mia, at least, the first two who were juniors and still had another year to go; and the latter which was still trying to decide what to do about her own studies.

It was three weeks before anyone in the group noticed something was most definitely off. At first it was in the way Mrs. Carson looked at Stefan and Elena one morning as they kissed chastely before going into the building, as the woman was dropping her own daughter: Sue, off. Then there were those who would look at either Stefan or Elena, or both with doubtful expression, or one time in particular with a dark-look. And then came the straw that broke the camel's back:

"Elena Gilbert has finally showed her true colors." The redheaded Tanya Maxwell, another senior, was saying in a shrill tone. "She's nothing but a slut. I cannot understand why Stefan is with her."

"Maybe he doesn't know..." Sue Carson, the dirty blonde senior, and neighbor of the Gilberts, suggested quietly.

"Well if he doesn't know someone should tell him!" The youngest girl in the group, April Young, sounded honestly worried.

"If he doesn't know he's stupid." Tanya spat. "We girls always know when someone's cheating on us, after all."

"What the hell are you talking about!" Caroline interrupted them.

She and Matt had been on their way out of the building (as their last class was over), when they'd overheard the conversation, and while Matt just kept getting redder and redder, the blonde couldn't help but snap in the end.

"Please!" Tanya scoffed at Caroline. "You cannot tell me you don't know. Practically everyone in the school, if not the whole town, knows that Elena's been cheating on her boyfriend, probably for a while now."

"You're lying!" Caroline snarled. "Elena would never do that. She loves Stefan like crazy!"

"Maybe she does, maybe she doesn't." Tanya shrugged. "Doesn't change the fact that she cheated on him. Even Sue and her mom both saw her!"

That made both Caroline and Matt turn to the other blonde.

"Sue?" Matt asked, not quite willing to believe it.

"I'm sorry Matt, Caroline, I know you probably don't like to hear such things, that both Elena and Stefan are your friends, but it's true." Sue nodded, chagrin evident in her expression. "My mom and I both saw Elena, on the street just outside of her house, making out with some guy. We couldn't see his face... though he certainly wasn't Stefan, the guy was blonde."

"Bree, from the sophomore year, says she saw her making out with a gal in the bleachers, right before cheerleading practice!" Tanya added with a giggle.

"Now I know you're lying." Caroline hissed. "Ever since she quit Elena doesn't stay in school after class."

"How would you know that?" Tanya challenged. "It's not like you see her either way."

Caroline, regretfully, had no response for that; not because she actually believed it to be true, because she didn't; even if she didn't know where Elena was every minute, she better than most knew how much Elena and Stefan loved each other. However, there was another thing bothering her; she could sense no lie coming from any of the other gals; which meant that they were telling the truth, as far as they knew it. Something fishy was going on, Caro had no idea what it was, exactly, but she didn't like it one bit.

Without a single word more Caroline spun abruptly around and began walking (or more like stalking), Matt following closely.

"Where are you going?" He asked, half-curious, half-afraid of her sudden mood.

"To see Elena." Caroline answered simply.

"Are you going to tell her off?" Matt wanted to know.

"I... what?!" Caroline spun around again, turning to face her boyfriend. "Of course not! You cannot tell me you believe Elena is truly cheating on Stefan!"

"No." Matt was completely honest when he said that. "I didn't like it when she broke up with me that night... but I knew we were going nowhere; and while at first I didn't like seeing her with Stefan... I realize I probably wouldn't have liked seeing her with anyone. And I know she never cheated on me while we dated... we simply weren't as compatible as I thought we were." He shook his head. "Anyway, if that hadn't happened I'd have never come to be with you, and I'm quite happy with you."

"I'm happy too, very much." Caroline kissed him briefly. "But while I know Elena would never cheat on Stefan, someone's going to great lengths to make others believe she is... that cannot be good. We need to find out what's going on."

"As much as I'd love to help you, my shift at the Grill is about to start." Matt pointed out, looking briefly at his watch.

"I know, and I understand." She assured him. "Are we still on for dinner tonight?"

They had dinner together most days, either at one of their places, or even the Grill; especially since Matt knew that she'd be eating alone otherwise, as Sheriff Forbes was always staying late at work.

"Of course." Matt nodded. "You can tell me what you find out then. Also, if you need help, you know you can call me."

"I know." Caroline nodded as she waved him off. "Have a good day Matt."

She really needed to tell him the truth soon...

 **.-.**

When Caroline arrived to the Gilbert home there was arguing, and shouting, coming from the inside. Apparently Elena was arguing quite loudly with everyone. Caro knew that it probably wasn't a good idea, but she also knew the situation wasn't something that could be just pushed aside. Not with their track record.

The blonde Sensitive stepped into the house (the door was open) in time to hear what sounded like the tail-end of an intense argument.

"We've agreed to be honest with each other Elena, all of us." Jenna was saying. "You know I don't mind you spending weekends with Stefan, or even when he happens to stay in your bedroom. Even when you don't tell me." She took a deep breath. "I'm not stupid, and it hasn't been that long since I was your age. I know what it is young people in love do behind closed doors. And that's exactly the point: behind closed doors... what Mr. Abernathy saw you doing on the porch the other night..."

"But that's just it Jenna." Elena replied, in a tone that showed she was tired and had probably tried to explain things a dozen times already and no one was listening. "Stefan and I weren't in the porch two nights ago. Caro's going nuts with last-second prom details and both Bonnie and I stayed over at her place to her. You can ask the Sheriff, she actually saw us when she arrived near midnight and found us still bent over things in the dinning-room table. You could ask Damon!" She couldn't help but chuckle. "He was quite vocal about his annoyance over Bonnie's absence that night."

"Well then if it wasn't you, then who do you suppose Mr. Abernathy saw that night?" Jenna demanded hotly.

It wasn't that she didn't trust her niece, not at all. But she'd spent almost half an hour having to endure not only Mr. Abernathy but several of the other senior-citizens in their block giving her a speech about propriety and decency and the right way of raising a 'rebellious teenage-girl'. It also hadn't helped when old Mrs. Dawson had said that her own choices: having her boyfriend move in even though they weren't married, probably weren't setting the right example for 'young impressionable youngsters'. All in all, it had taken all of Jenna's will not to snap at them all more than once.

"I don't know." Elena admitted.

"It's worse than you think." Caroline spoke up, revealing her presence.

"What can be worse than what's going on already?" Alaric dared ask.

"I have no idea how either you or Elena haven't picked up on it, but a lot of people at the school have been looking oddly at both Elena and Stefan for a while now." Caro explained. "At least two weeks. Well, today I happened to hear Tanya, Sue and a few other girls talking. Sue claims that she and her mom saw Elena making out with a boy that's not Stefan, just outside her house. Also, some sophomore girl claims to have seen Elena making out with a girl on the bleachers, right before the start of cheer-leading practice."

"What?!" Elena shrieked at that. "No way! I don't even like girls!"

"What's going on then?" Alaric inquired, unsure what emotion was stronger in him in that moment: the worry or the intrigue.

"I don't know." Caroline answered honestly. "But we need to find out, and we need to do it soon. Before Elena's reputation is completely ruined."

 **.-.**

Things actually got worse, as the algebra teacher chastised Elena for things she'd done during the study session she'd offered on Saturday, to help the students get ready for their final... a study session Elena hadn't attended. The blue-eyed brunette was even called to the principal's office at some point for 'indecent conduct' in campus.

The whole thing was driving everyone crazy, but especially Elena. Some people had even suggested that her attitude might be caused by the influence of either Jenna, Stefan, Damon & Bonnie, or Alaric... it was an absolute mess.

In the end it was Caroline who discovered the truth, on Thursday afternoon. She'd arrived to the Grill a few minutes before the end of Matt's shift, ready for their usual dinner, only he wasn't at the bar, as was usual.

"Hey Hank, have you seen Matt?" Caroline asked the guy arriving for his own shift.

Hank Williams was a slight guy, around 22, who'd been forced to drop out of college for lack of money; though he told anyone who asked that he was saving to be able to go back. He worked the night shift at the Grill, as he was off-age and could serve drinks.

"Hey Caroline." Hank greeted her. "I last saw him taking out the trash, though that was ten minutes ago... I can go look for him if you want..."

"No, that's alright, I'll do it myself." The blonde assured him.

She knew that those who worked at the Grill took the trash out a side door, around the corner at the end of the hall that had doors leading to the bathrooms and the larder. It allowed them to do it without bothering any of the costumers. The workers also knew Caroline enough that no one bothered her as she went down the hallway and past the bathroom. She actually passed Tanya and a couple of other girls, who looked at her oddly as they passed; though the sensitive didn't focus on that, more interested in finding Matt. And then she did...

For a second Caroline was sure her heart was slowly cracking, as if someone had taken a mallet to it (or at the very least, a very hard stone) time and again... until a voice in the back corner of her head screamed louder than her own shattering heart. An instinct made her focus on what she was sensing, rather on what she was seeing... it was as if someone had flipped a switch, as she realized Matt was an unwilling participant of what was going on. It also served to point out that the one before her was most definitely not Elena...

Caroline allowed instinct to rule her, months of training kicking in. She wasn't fully conscious of her moves, but in seconds she'd managed to pretty much tear Matt out of the brunette's arms and pushed him behind herself. That certainly called the attention of both to her.

"Oh Caroline..." The woman called in a falsetto. "I'm so sorry. I really..."

"Caro!" Matt cried out, horrified. "I swear this isn't what it seems."

Caroline knew how every smart girl in the world would react to those words; how she herself would have reacted, in any moment but that one...

"I know Matt..." She gave one of his hands a reassuring squeeze, while with the other she reached into her bag, never taking her eyes off the female before her. "And you can drop the act already. I know you're not Elena..."

"Caro...?" Matt didn't understand what was going on.

"Oh, are you sure about that?" The female sing-songed.

"Elena's eyes are blue, not brown." Caroline pointed out, more for Matt's benefit, before adding. "I know who you are... Katherine."

"Oh... now this is an interesting development." The she-vampire actually clapped her hands in a childish display of glee. "I knew you were close to my look-alike and my dear boys... but I wasn't sure if you knew... Jenna certainly didn't, or all the teachers and students in your high-school... or dear-old Matt..."

Caroline swallowed. She'd known her avoidance was going to cost her. She could only hope it wouldn't be quite as bad as she was fearing in that moment. And in any case, there was no time to focus on that; first they needed to get away, alive...

"Oh we're going to have so much fun!" Katherine called gleefully, the insanity showing.

Caroline decided it was then or never as, in fast motions, she pulled her vervain spray out of her bag, spraying Katherine hard, straight in the eyes. She didn't stop to see if it worked, or for how long; she tightened her hold on Matt's hand and ran past Katherine and out the Grill.

She didn't stop, not even when they got to her car, not until they'd made it all the way to their destination. The place she knew they needed to get to.

 **.-.**

Dinner at the Gilbert home was a somewhat awkward affair, though that in itself had become pretty much the norm on the nights when John decided to take the meal with them. It was something he did every other day, and no one was ignorant to the fact that he was doing it all (keeping his opinions about everyone's choices, particularly) in an attempt to get to know the daughter he'd just learnt he had. And while Elena didn't really like him, and she'd never forget (nor would anyone else) all the ways John had insulted her since his arrival... she couldn't forget either the realization she'd come to that day, about the true reason behind John's contempt, behind his anger... So she'd decided to give him a chance (a small one, but still), and somehow managed to convince the rest to do the same. And so, during the week Jenna, Alaric, Jeremy, Itziar, Stefan, Elena and John would have dinner together every other day. They would try for a bit of talk (though most of the time John was content enough with listening); then Stefan would either go back to the Salvatore boarding-house or take a shower in Elena's bathroom when he spent the night; before the rest retired to their respective bedrooms (Jeremy and Itziar slept in separate bedrooms, on opposite sides of Jenna's and Alaric's own room).

John was learning a lot about the family he'd once forsaken. The fact that, while Elena loved a vampire, and called other supernatural beings her family, she was still quite aware that not all were good. She'd actually fought vampires before, had the training to do so, and it'd been the Salvatores who'd trained her. Elena had actually showed him her 'tools' one day, as she tried to explain to him that she wasn't naïve, or foolish, she was quite aware of the world she lived in. John was also aware that if their conversation had taken place any time before learning of their connection, he probably would have scoffed at the vervain spray, the sachet pouch with a sprig of wolfsbane, pieces of spelled crystal, and particularly her collection of chopsticks... in that moment all he could do was feel wonder at Elena's and her friends' ingenuity (Elena had told him the spray was Caroline's doing, and about her gardenia/vervain perfume). In the end, his daughter might not be the kind of hunter he would have trained, but perhaps that was a good thing, she had a compassion, a kindness, he'd never possessed... Isobel had been like that once; but that had all been gone when she'd become a vampire... or when she'd 'flipped her switch' as the Salvatores put it.

Staying even after their meeting in the living room nearly three weeks before had also given John the chance to get to know the rest of the family better. He and Jenna still didn't get along, but she seemed more willing to accept that he had a reason for being the way he was, and he'd stopped criticizing the way she took care of Jeremy and Elena. Also, Jeremy had eventually agreed to continue their training, and Itziar had joined them... the girl, as odd looking as she was (especially when she wasn't hiding behind exotic dyes, heavy make-up and dark-glasses), was everything a hunter was supposed to be.

It was almost funny actually, how much like John, Itziar was. It had taken seeing her for John to realize that it didn't have to be like that. The girl's hardness, the coldness were slowly falling away, thanks to Alaric, Jenna, and Jeremy... and Itziar was all the better for it. Hopefully John would be the same (even if it would quite probably take him a lot longer to get there).

That particular evening Jenna and Elena had been talking about her prom-dress (which John had actually paid for, in yet another attempt to connect with her); Itziar knew next to nothing about fashion, though she still tried to contribute to the conversation, while the men were left just looking at each other with resigned expressions. And then came the mention of Stefan's plans for the weekend. A surprise he was planning for Elena... and one John happened to actually be in on, as he'd helped set it up. It had felt good.

A smile was actually beginning to appear on John's mouth at the teasing going on around him, and especially at Elena's joyful laughter (he was reminded, quite suddenly, of a time, many years before, when he and Grayson had been children, before his own uncle had started his training; before the knowledge of the supernatural had driven them apart... or had John been the one to do that?); when a screech of tires right outside broke the moment abruptly.

Everyone reacted instantly. Elena ran to the door, one of her hands reaching for one of the sticks in her hair automatically; Stefan on her heels. Jeremy, Itziar and even Alaric wanted to follow but instead they simply got on their feet, reaching for their weapons (regardless of how hard she tried, Jenna hadn't been able to convince them to leave them at the door when home).

There was a pounding on the door, though it didn't last more than a couple of seconds before Elena swung open said door, revealing Caroline, who practically threw herself into her friend's arms. They made an odd picture, especially considering that Caroline was holding onto Matt with one hand, she'd hardly let go of him since the Grill, even while she was driving her car.

"What the hell is going on?" Jeremy asked, not understanding what was going on.

"That's exactly what I would like to know." Matt pointed out.

It was obvious he felt a bit uncomfortable, realizing they'd interrupted a family dinner, especially when he still didn't understand what exactly was going on... but at for the time being he wasn't letting go of Caroline; though whether he was doing that for her or himself, there was no way of knowing for sure."

"I found out what's been going on over the last few weeks." Caroline blurted out in a rush, looking at her friend in the eyes. "It's not you that the neighbors and everyone at school have been seeing flirting and making out with boys and girls and everything else..."

"I kinda said that from the start." Elena said evenly. "Though we still have no idea who..."

"Katherine's in town." Caroline cut her off.

"Are you sure?" Stefan asked, deadly still.

"As sure as I am of the fact that five minutes ago she was kissing Matt, I separated them and then practically emptied my vervain spray on her face before high-tailing it out of there." Caroline took a deep breath, trying to force herself to calm down. "I was going to drive to the boarding house, but in the end decided it was better to come here. She's obviously been around here, and you needed to know in case she came around and tried to come in or something."

Particularly because she suspected that a few people still weren't aware of a few things...

"Just what is going on?" Jeremy asked, again.

"Who is Katherine?" Jenna and Alaric asked at the same time.

Elena and Stefan turned to look at each other silently, seemingly having a whole conversation without a single word being said out-loud. How could they possibly explain the mess that was Katherine Pierce and her history with the Salvatores...?

"Stefan, phone Damon; someone call Mia and Tyler... it appears we're having another family meeting right now." Elena instructed.

Because if Katherine was really in town, it was very, very important that they were all on the same page. Least someone end up dead...

 **.-.**

It took about fifteen minutes, but soon enough they were all sitting around the Gilbert living room. Samuel Bennett, Sienna Rosenberg and Grams too were present.

"Everyone knows by now the rumors that have been going around Robert E. Lee High, and Mystic Falls in general, concerning Elena." Caroline took charge of the meeting, as she was the one to have the answer to at least that question. "Or at least, someone everyone assumed was Elena... it wasn't. It was Katherine Pierce."

"I think the question most of us are asking ourselves right now is who exactly is Katherine Pierce." Tyler stated.

He'd heard some quiet comments that included that name, words whispered so quietly, as if afraid to summon her with the thought alone, as if they were talking about the devil itself or something like that.

"I'm sure John has some idea already." Elena commented rather calmly, looking at her uncle/biological dad directly.

"She's mentioned in Johnathan's journals, as I'm sure you were expecting." John nodded, before elaborating for the rest. "Arrived to Mystic Falls in 1864, seemingly one of many people trying to get away from the thick of the civil war. She arrived with her handmaiden: Emily Bennett."

That caused some reactions, and it was just the start.

"She stayed with Giuseppe Salvatore in the old estate house." John went on. "And a couple of months later rumors began going around that she might be soon to marry the youngest of Giuseppe's sons. Until the eldest came back, a deserter from the army." He shook his head. "When the existence of vampires was revealed and the Secret Council created, she turned out to be one of them. She was also the one to turn the Salvatores..."

"Wait so those Salvatores..." Tyler was in shock.

"Are us, yes." Damon pushed that aside. "That's not what's important, no. The point of this conversation is Katherine Pierce..."

"Why would anyone be confusing her with Elena... or the other way around, whichever?" Alaric wanted to know.

For all answer Damon pulled an old sepia-toned picture out of the pocket of his jacket and threw it almost casually onto the coffee-table. It took a second, but soon there were gasps echoing all across the room. Even John was shocked. He might have known who Katherine Pierce was, but he'd never known what she looked like...

"Why does she look so much like Elena?" Jenna asked, finally.

"Of that we have no idea." Stefan answered honestly. "It was actually quite shocking for both Damon and I, when we first met Elena, seeing how much like Katherine she looked..."

"How did you know it was Katherine and not Elena back at the Grill?" Jeremy asked his sister's blonde friend, curious.

"Their eyes are nothing alike." Caroline answered honestly.

"What?!" No one was expecting that.

"I remember that." Bonnie blurted out suddenly. "They're brown... Katherine's eyes I mean. Elena's are blue."

"Yes, exactly." Caroline agreed. "Also, they, well... they feel nothing alike."

"What does that mean?" Tyler inquired.

"How do you even know that Bonnie?" Her aunt Sienna inquired.

It would seem like, even when they'd spent hours talking before, there still were stories that needed to be told. It was actually fairly easy to explain about Caroline being a Sensitive... though in the end that required Damon and Bonnie telling their own story (not for the first time), mostly for Matt's benefit; though adding what they'd remembered recently about the events that had taken place a couple of days before Bonnie's fifteenth birthday.

"So, let me see if I got this right, we have a powerful, psychotic, vampire Elena-look-alike going around Mystic Falls, quite possibly planning something nefarious?" Itziar stated more than actually asked.

"Pretty much, yes." Stefan and Damon nodded in unison.

"It's impossible to know what it is that's brought her back here exactly." Though, deep down Bonnie wondered if Isobel wasn't somehow connected, or even Pearl and Anna... they were probably going to end up regretting letting those three go without a fight. "But you can be sure that it's nothing good."

No, it wasn't, aside from everything else Itziar had already said, Katherine was young, she'd been barely sixteen or seventeen when turned. A spoiled child, used to getting whatever she wanted... she probably wasn't going to take the fact that the Salvatore brothers no longer cared for her, quietly. Nevermind that she'd abandoned them right after turning them (technically before they were actually turned) and hadn't cared in the slightest about finding them in almost a century and a half... but then again, Katherine was the kind of person who'd rather destroy a toy than let someone else play with it; and that's exactly what practically every single person in the world had always been for her: toys. Of course the Salvatores weren't planning on cooperating with her, and they weren't exactly alone.

Things really weren't going to go well...

 **.-.**

Eventually the group had to split, to go their separate ways. Caroline had offered to take Matt to his place, but he asked that she drive him to the Mystic Grill to pick up his car instead. Caro didn't ask him if he was sure, didn't try to insist that she could drive him; she could sense that he was on edge, had been since the revelations began piling up.

Matt didn't even speak to her when they got to the Mystic Grill and as much as Caroline really wanted to call to him, to seek some kind of reassurance... she was far too afraid of getting the exact opposite. Yes, they were soulmates, but that didn't mean they had to be together, only that they could, that they were well-matched.

In a bit of a daze after everything that had happened (Caroline still hadn't gotten over the fact that she'd stood her ground against a vampire as powerful and insane as Katherine... and she'd actually lived to tell the tale...), the blonde got to her home, changed into her sleeping clothes and got into bed. She was doing her best to settle down when her eyes strayed to her open closet doors... or what was hanging from a hook on one of them: the long, peach-colored prom dress with mesh and crystals on the top and in a sort-of sash.

"I guess we'll know tomorrow..." The blonde murmured to herself.

There were no classes the next day, not really. But once the time came, she'd know; it'd all depend on whether Matt arrived in time to pick her up for prom... Caroline prayed fervently, with every drop of her power, that he would... she'd no idea how she'd be able to go on if he didn't, if he decided that it was too much, that he couldn't accept the world Caroline lived in... she couldn't even think about it. She had to believe... she had to have faith.

 **.-.**

Elena stood in her bedroom, in a royal blue silk and lace camisole and matching boyshorts. In her hands she held an old picture John had given her: the only photograph that was left of when Isobel was pregnant with Elena. She looked so different from the woman that had been in the Gilbert living room, trying to persuade Elena to leave Mystic Falls and everyone she loved behind. And it wasn't only the difference in eye-color; because while vampire-Isobel had muddy-brown eyes, human-Isobel's eyes had been the deepest blue, almost the same shade as the lapis-lázuli stone that was used for the daywalkers jewelry... just like Elena's.

Was it some kind of curse caused by vampirism? Which caused the eye-color to change? Though then again, Stefan's eyes were forest green, and Damon's a very dark-blue, like the night-sky (Bonnie's words, not Elena's); the exact same colors they'd been when they were human. So why had Isobel's eyes changed and not the Salvatores?

In any case, Elena had to admit that the difference in Isobel showed in more than just the color of her eyes. There was something about the girl in the picture, a mix of joy and sadness... Elena imagined she'd been happy for the baby, and at the same time sad because she would be leaving; a bittersweet happiness towards the life she was carrying, and which she wouldn't get to see grow up... so unlike the total lack of emotion of vampire-Isobel. And it wasn't like she couldn't have emotions, like vampires were incapable of them... she'd seen Damon (both the good and the bad), Stefan... and even others, like Vickie Donovan, Logan Fell, Lee, Lexi...

The sound of the water cutting off told Elena that Stefan was done with his shower and she decided it was time to push thoughts of her biological mother from her mind; it wasn't like brooding about her would change their situation any. So, with that in mind she returned the photograph to the bottom of the vanity drawer, before raising her eyes to the mirror above it. And then a completely different thought entered her mind.

She stood silently before the mirror for what seemed like a small eternity, watching her reflection carefully, critically, imagining she was looking at another person rather than just a mirror. Was that how it would feel, when she finally met her double? Like she was looking into some kind of shadow-mirror?

"Elena?"

That was how Stefan found her, touching the smooth glass surface, tracing her own face, not saying a word.

"What are you thinking, lovely love?" Stefan asked, as he wound his arms around his girlfriend from behind.

For a moment, just a second, a corner of Elena's mind warped the new image in the mirror, throwing up the question of if Stefan and Katherine had looked like that as well. The thought died a quick death as Elena's soul rejected it so absolutely she couldn't even finish processing it. It was simply too much for her.

"My love...?" Stefan began, doubtful.

"I was thinking about Katherine." Elena admitted, not daring to voice the other part of her thought. "Wondering how I will feel when I finally come face to face with her for the first time." She let out a breath. "I mean, it's one thing for others to tell me that there's some crazy vampire-chick with my face running around, but I still wonder how I myself will react when I meet her. Will I feel like I'm looking at my reflection? Looking at that old picture... and according to everyone else who's ever met her, we're so much alike..."

"You're nothing alike." Stefan interrupted, making Elena spin to face him. "And I'm not just talking about your eyes, Elena. It is true that the first time I saw you I made the mistake of confusing you with her. I worried what that might mean... But I needed only to meet you, to talk to you once, to know you're nothing alike. You're strong, mature, kind, compassionate... in ways Katherine will never be. You're everything she could never hope to be... you're... you. You're a light, Elena Gilbert... you're my soul."

And Katherine could never have been Stefan's soul, because she had none herself. It had nothing to do with being a vampire, or a human, it was just about them... About being Katherine Pierce... and Elena Gilbert. They were no reflection of each other, not really, because in the end one was nothing but shadow, while the other was the purest light.

 **.-.**

Liz Forbes, the sheriff of Mystic Falls, closed the door to her daughter's bedroom as quietly as she could so as not to wake her up. She hadn't been there when Caroline had gotten home, or to bed; then again, that wasn't exactly rare. She knew her daughter hardly ever ate dinner at home anymore, most of the time she did so at the Grill, or at her boyfriend's place; and even when she happened to eat at her own home, Matt was with her. And as happy as Liz was to know that her daughter wasn't alone; as much as she might honestly believe Matt was a good boy... no, not boy, a man, after everything he'd been through with the absence of his dad, his mother walking out on him, Vickie supposedly running away, and then turning up dead... if any high-schooler deserved to be called a man, it was Matt Donovan. Even with all that, Liz couldn't help but feel bad. Caroline was her daughter, she should be there for her. She should have been there to listen to her moaning about school, her friends, boys; about Matt... when Vickie Donovan died, when Bonnie got married, when she went to buy her prom-dress... Her daughter was moving on with her life, a life Liz didn't seem to be a part of anymore. It hurt.

"It's still not too late." Liz told herself.

Things seemed to be getting better lately, in Mystic Falls. There had been no vampire attacks since the awful tragedy with Ms. Gibson. Hopefully things would continue on that trend and Liz just might be able to take some time off. Be there to see her daughter off to prom, to see her receive her diploma and graduate... and then off to college (the sheriff chose not to ponder on the fact that she didn't even know if Caroline had even applied to any colleges).

A sound from outside pulled the woman from her somewhat depressive musings, making her react automatically. Looking through the peephole at the door gave her nothing, there was no one at the door; but when looking through a window she could see someone just beyond the reach of the porch-light. Making sure she had her gun (with wooden bullets, just in case) in hand, Liz opened the door and stepped into the porch.

"Hello...?" She called, slowly approaching the edge of the porch, trying to make out the figure, wondering if it really was who she thought. "Elena...?"

She couldn't follow the figure's movements; but one second Liz was standing at the edge of her porch, and the next she was being slammed against a tree in her own front-yard. The street-light hit them just right to allow the sheriff to see the pale skin, the darkness around the eyes, and the fangs...

"Elena!" She repeated in shock. "You... you're a vampire?!"

"Oh I am a vampire..." The female stated. "But I am most certainly not Elena."

Liz didn't understand.

"I'm done playing the good little girl." The vampire, Katherine, stated. "I have plans, and you're going to help me with them."

"And... why would I do that?" Liz managed to gasp past the main in her back and the half-choking hand around her neck.

"Because if you don't everyone in this god-forsaken town will pay... starting with your little daughter..." Katherine answered in a hiss. "Now, this is what you're going to do..."

Yes, Katherine Pierce was done playing games, it was time to take revenge...

 _And I still believe in the good_

 _And I still believe in the light_

 _And I wanna feel the sun_

 _I wanna free you tonight_

* * *

So, what do you think?

We're getting to the last part of this fic! Just three more chapters to go. Less than a month people!

Review! Make your guesses about what's coming. If you hit the mark... well, I have no idea what I'll give you but I do wonder if anyone might be able to guess what's coming exactly... or at least part of it. I think all the hints are there.

P.S. Next week things are getting insane! Just so you know... (cackles like mad again). I'm crazy, and I'm sorry... actually, no, I'm not sorry about it! See ya around!


	21. Betrayed

Here we are. After all these weeks, the climax of the story! Hope you'll enjoy it. Now, a few clarifications before we go forward:

I forgot to say this last chapter, and I don't know if I said it at some point before, but the Katherine you see in this fic is actually a sort-of blend between the Katherine Pierce/Katerina Petrova of the TV-Show (of the first two seasons, to be more specific) and the original one from the books: Katherine Von Swartzchild. That's important, just like the fact that the Klaus in this verse is the one from the books (the ones written by L. J. Smith, as I never read the ones her ghost-writer posted in her name), the rest of the originals do not exist. Elijah will make an appearance, though he won't be Klaus's brother.

This chapter was originally going to be two chapters... until I realized it would be much too short (and you might kill me for the cliffhanger... to be completely honest, you still might). I've been so excited about this and the following chapter, it's all brought them to this. From the very beginning (from the last fic's epilogue). I love Caroline, and I hope I've made her justice, her and Matt both, in this. Also, while I don't actually hate Caro's mom, remember that we're at the point where she hates vampires (remember that moment in season two when she actually tried to kill the Salvatores, until Caro saved them? Yeah, I'm sure you all know what moment I'm talking about).

Hope you'll like this chapter and see ya next week!

* * *

 **Chapter 20. Betrayed**

It was late afternoon when Caroline found herself standing in her peach-colored prom gown; a floor-length, sleeveless piece that consisted mostly of a strapless peach-colored organza fitted to her waist with a delicate white-gold and crystal sash and then falling loose; then there was a piece of tulle adorned with tiny crystals that went from the beginning of the dress and up to high on her neck, making the dress more conservative and elegant. She had silvery heels on her feet, a clip of the same color holding her hair up in an elegant twist; the finishing touch were stud diamond-earrings and a bracelet made of strands of white-gold entwined with crystals and zircon.

"Everything alright, honey?" Liz Forbes asked her daughter.

Caroline nodded half-absently, a part of her was still trying to understand how and why her mother was there right then. After so long never being around... it was odd, to say the least.

"Matt seems to be running a bit late, that's all." Caroline stated with a slight shrug, making sure none of her nervousness would show.

"I'm sure he'll be here soon, Caroline." Liz seemed to be trying to reassure her.

Of course, she'd no idea of what had happened just the night before, the shocking revelations Matt had endured; the fact that Caroline still didn't know if her boyfriend would be there... and then the doorbell rang.

Caroline was so out of it that it was her mother who opened the door.

"Hey Matt!" She greeted the boy. "Good evening! Caroline's inside."

That made the blonde react, just in time to see her boyfriend (did him arriving mean he's still her boyfriend?) standing in front of her in what was probably a rented tux, in his hand he was holding a wrist-corsage with a single red tulip.

"According to what Mrs. Flowers told me, a red tulip carries two messages 'Believe Me' and a declaration of love." Matt told her quietly as he fixed the corsage on Caroline's bare wrist. "In our case I think it means more 'I believe you'... though the love declaration remains..."

"Does that mean...?" She could hardly believe what she was hearing.

"I honestly have no idea how we're going to handle... everything that's going on." Matt said, kissing her knuckles once before letting go of her hand. "But I do know that I love you Caroline, and that regardless of what might happen, that will never change."

"We'll deal with things as they come." Caroline agreed softly.

And so, with a huge smile, the two teenagers made their way to Matt's car and to their senior prom. It was going to be so wonderful!

 **.-.**

Robert E. Lee's gymnasium had been tastefully decorated to look like a fancy ballroom in an antique grand-manor. There were prints of paintings, and curtains making it look like they were truly in that kind of place. Also, they had a buffet table full of simple finger foods decorated to look like exotic delicacies, and a variety of sodas, juice and punch, colored and served it such a way as to look like expensive cocktails.

It had been Caroline's idea, one that everyone else had supported wholeheartedly. The idea of having a party where they could feel like they were millionaires, without really paying much. Tyler had joked about how it would surely have to be more interesting than the last 'Founder's event' (those tended to be dreadfully boring).

Ever so slowly the rest of the generation began arriving. Tyler was, of course, with his fiancée: Mia (they'd made it public), who was wearing a two-layer dress that consisted of a sleeveless, knee-length piece in off-white sateen, with a long-sleeved, calf-length pink-hued iridescent chiffon on top; pink ballet-flats were on her feet, and she was wearing her spelled-pendant, the Lockwood engagement ring, and a pink-gold bracelet; her hair was down and fixed over one shoulder. Bonnie was in a sexy knee-length black-velvet vintage-looking dress with most of her back bare and dark-red pumps, hair piled up on top of her head; her husband, Damon, in an elegant double-tailed, black on black tuxedo and red bowtie, on her arm. Finally, Elena was wearing a sleeveless wrap-style floor-length pearly-white silk gown and white kitten-heels; her hair was down and her only jewelry was the vervain necklace Stefan had given her; her beloved boyfriend was with her, in an attire similar to hers, except the usual black on white, and with a normal black bowtie.

It was a good night, perhaps small, when in comparison with all that had happened and was still happening in the lives of a certain clan; but still an important event, a night to be normal boys and girls (Caroline had even called it a 'right of passage' at some point).

The couples spent at least half the night dancing, even taking a few songs to exchange partners among them for a song or two. They were having a good time.

Near the end of the night, the cherry on the cake was when Tyler and Bonnie were announced as Prom King and Queen. (Stefan and Elena had been the favorites until Katherine's 'discredit campaign'). They danced together for a single song before returning to their partners. Bonnie managed to hear her husband growling mentally as they began dancing once again.

*Are you honestly jealous, my Dark Angel?* Bonnie asked with a mental chuckle. *You know Tyler is nothing more than a friend?* She revised. *Well, he's family. He's Mia's mate after all, and you know she's more a sister to me than a cousin...*

*I know, my Little Witch...* The dark-eyed vampire murmured back. *I know it's insane for me to react this way. I know you feel nothing more than sisterly love for him, and the same is true for him. There's no doubt in my mind about that.*

If there were, Tyler would already be dead.

In the end Damon couldn't find the right words to express himself, so instead he pulled a piece of a memory from her own mind and sent it to his beloved: it was of the day the two of them had reconnected, before that, during the Winter Dance... the one Bonnie had attended stag, as a way of giving herself one last happy moment... Tyler had invited her to dance, and she had decided to give it a shot; they'd just begun dancing when the song changed, into one she knew very well (though back then the knowledge had been instinctive, rather than an actual memory): 'The Promise' by Tracy Chapman.

Seeing the scene from her beloved's eyes, Bonnie got the chance to feel what he had, to hear his own thoughts... the moment when he'd practically begged her, inside his own head, not to dance with Tyler, not to their song...

*Oh my Dark Angel...* In that moment Bonnie was the one without words, all she could do was embrace Damon tightly, sending him all the love she could through the bond.

 **.-.**

Prom began winding down after eleven and was set to end at midnight. It was shortly before that night that the members of the family began climbing into their vehicles. The surprise was great when they saw none other than Sheriff Forbes standing in the parking lot, giving some speech to everyone leaving: about taking the girls straight home, about respect, and maturity and a bunch of other stuff that made Caroline flush in embarrassment. Why did her mother have to do something like that? And in her own prom?! And did she really think it would make any difference at all...?

Damon, for his part, couldn't help but think there was something off about the way Liz was acting in that moment.

"Everything alright Sheriff?" He asked, seemingly casual, as he approached her.

He'd barely managed to convince Bonnie to stay by the Ferrari, but they had to keep up the charade of her not knowing about the Secret Council and everything they did to protect Mystic Falls for as long as they could.

"Damon!" Liz exclaimed, seemingly shocked by his presence.

"Liz...?" Damon was getting honestly worried by that point.

"Yes!" She nodded hurriedly. "Yes, everything's fine. I..." She lowered her voice before adding. "I'm just tired of having to wait for something to happen. Of just reacting... we're trying to be proactive this time. Perhaps then we might be able to stop future attacks..."

Damon had to admit her logic was sound, it was even true that the teenagers would be far more vulnerable in a hotel, or motel, where the ownership of the living areas were shady at best (which made it a lot easier for vampires to get in); he just wasn't sure she was going the right way about it.

"I hope it works." He told her wholeheartedly.

Liz nodded, and Damon turned to see his wife, little brother and someday-little-sister right in time to miss the odd look the sheriff directed at him. He turned back in time to see her tense unexpectedly, giving a step back. Damon froze then, wondering if he'd let too much of his aura free, making her tense... he was just so used to the presence of the clan, of his family by choice; and they were all used to him, never backing down from him, from his power (then again, most of them had a power all their own).

"So, do I have to give you the same speech?" Liz said eventually.

"Oh Liz, my friend!" Damon called dramatically. "You wound me!" He grew more serious as he added. "My pretty little wife and I are going straight home. Stefan and Elena are taking off for the weekend, they'll be spending it in the old Salvatore cabin, by the lake. It's all been cleared with Elena's family... it's also a surprise, John and Jenna helped Stefan set it up. Elena doesn't know yet."

"I see..." Liz nodded slightly. "Well, then I hope you all have a very good weekend."

"You too Liz." Damon considered placing a hand on the sheriff's shoulder, then decided not to, so as not to make her more uneasy. "And remember to take it easy, my friend. Whatever may come at us, we can handle it..."

Liz didn't answer Damon, there was a sudden shadow in her eyes... but Damon missed it, as he was already making his way back to his family. It'd be too late before he realized the truth behind Liz's standoffishness.

 **.-.**

The expression of absolute surprise and near-childish delight that appeared on Elena's face as Stefan parked his little red classic just outside the Gilbert lake-cabin made all he'd done to make that moment possible, worth it.

"Stefan...?" She called in wonder, not quite able to find the words.

"This is our surprise for you, lovely love." He told her. "Your aunt and uncle helped me set it up. We're here for the weekend... just the two of us."

"Oh Stefan..." Elena began, embracing her boyfriend tightly, before her mind caught up with something. "Uncle John really helped you...?"

And he had to, just like the Gilbert manor (which, when compared to the Lockwood manor, or the old Salvatore estate, long since lost, was actually quite small) was in Elena's and Jeremy's names, with Jenna acting as guardian until Elena turned eighteen; the cabin, on the other hand, was in John's name. Which meant that he was, essentially, the only one who could invite Stefan inside.

"He's not a bad man Elena, not really." Stefan told her softly. "His whole life he was raised to hate everything Damon and I are, to be wary around people like Bonnie, Mia, and the rest... and then to find his remaining family smack right in the middle of it all. You do realize that what we are, the clan... the family we are, it should be impossible? Vampires, werewolves, witches, hunters, gifted and humans, standing side by side, calling each other family... history says it shouldn't be possible, that we should be at each other's throats. That at least half of us should have died the first time we all met..."

"History knows nothing." Elena stated vehemently. "We're more than what our biology makes us. More than our abilities and weaknesses."

"I agree." Stefan nodded. "Still, you must admit that you came into our world with an open mind and no preconceptions... John, on the other hand had already an idea of how things were supposed to be, and what couldn't... I think it's hard for him to accept that his teachings, if not wrong, at least weren't the whole truth. It'll get better."

"I'm glad, honestly, for that." Elena nodded. "And I know I promised to give him a chance... but I just don't know Stefan... I don't know if I'll ever be able to see him as my father... I spent so long convincing myself that Grayson and Miranda Gilbert were my parents, truly, in every way that mattered, that I needed nothing and no one else... I'm not sure I could go back on that. I'm not sure I want to..."

"And you don't have to go back on it." Stefan assured her. "I think... I'm sure John knows this isn't easy for you. You don't need to call him dad, just accept him as family, give him a chance to at least be your uncle."

Elena could have pointed out that he was the one who refused that opportunity before... but every time the thought came to her, she'd remember John's expression when Isobel had revealed Elena was his daughter. She couldn't do it.

"That much I can do." Elena agreed. "So shall we go inside?"

"We shall." Stefan agreed wholeheartedly.

 **.-.**

Damon took great advantage of the fact that they had the boarding house all to themselves for the weekend, and Bonnie followed his lead. They spent the whole night cuddling together and making love again and again on every surface. They had to stop as dawn approached; they had eaten and they needed to sleep, but before they could do that Bonnie needed to finish a spell she'd been working on over the last day. It was an elaborate ritual cast in stages: at sunrise, when sun was at it's zenith, at sundown, when the sun was on the exact other side, and finally, on the next sunrise. It was just the final part that was missing.

In any case, Bonnie decided to get dressed (if only so Damon wouldn't get distracted with her body, like had happened during the midnight stage). She put on a mini-skirt and what looked like a bikini top, both in Canary yellow; it wasn't much, but still, it wasn't like she expected to keep the clothes on for long.

The purpose of the spell/ritual was protection, for Damon. They'd decided that after what had happened right before her fifteenth birthday, he was probably the one in most danger from Katherine. The spell made it so, as long as Bonnie's magic was active, Damon was essentially immune to the things that would normally kill a vampire. The eldest Salvatore didn't like being so protected when no one else had the same advantage, but even he had to agree that Katherine would probably go after him first, so that gave them a slight advantage.

The final stage took place with no trouble and in less than a minute they were done. Damon was about to rush his wife, probably for yet another round of love-making, when the sound of a branch snapping pulled at his instincts.

"What is it?" Bonnie inquired, confused by his sudden change.

"There's something... off." Damon murmured.

"Dark Angel..." She began, hesitantly, she couldn't sense anything in that moment, with her magic still recovering from the ritual.

"I'm sure it's nothing." He assured her even as he pulled his shirt back on; he didn't bother buttoning it up, or putting on shoes, with just the open shirt and dress-pants on as he went to the back door. "I'm just going to check on that quick. It's probably just a rabbit or something."

Or something... Bonnie didn't like it, but she told herself that it was just her lust talking. She hated when someone interrupted her Damon-time... nevermind that they had the whole weekend ahead of them still.

Damon was gone before she could say a word, and Bonnie decided she might as well get to their bedroom... hopefully she wouldn't fall asleep before her Dark Angel returned. She was about to reach the stairs when all her senses screamed at her, there was danger coming: to her, and Damon and... Stefan and Elena!

"Oh Spirits..." The Little Witch breathed out in horror.

It was too late already, and she knew it.

 **.-.**

At the cabin Elena and Stefan had actually fallen sleep relatively early, a consequence of not getting much sleep the previous night. Elena had been so stressed out over the whole mess with Katherine that it'd been hard for her to fall asleep, no matter how hard Stefan tried to soothe her and help her relax.

In any case, they'd managed to wake up in time to watch the sun rise over the lake, something Elena had loved doing when she was young. So she and Stefan had gone down to the small pier; Elena was wearing a two piece swimsuit (consisting of a sports-bra-style top and boy-shorts) in shades of blue and white, with pale-blue short-shorts and a burnt-red plaid shirt to guard off the pre-dawn chill; Stefan was wearing nothing but a white sleeveless wife-beater and washed-out jeans. Both stood on the pier, watching the sun rising.

"This is so beautiful Stefan..." She murmured quietly. "Thank you..."

"Thank you, Elena." Stefan replied.

For several seconds not a word was said, and then...

"I would like us to talk." She murmured, not letting go of Stefan's arms around her waist. "About the ring..."

"What is it?" Stefan couldn't keep himself from tensing up, just a bit.

"I... I'm not ready yet for eternity." Elena admitted quietly. "I don't know when I will be ready for that. But I know I love you, with all my heart and soul, and I'm ready for our family, and the whole world to know you're mine as much as I'm yours..." She let out a breath. "So, I guess what I'm trying to say is... that I'd like to have that ring now... if you're still willing to give it to me."

"Oh my lovely little love..." Stefan whispered, voice so full of emotion it seemed to be about to break. "I will never not want to give you that ring..."

And with that, to Elena's absolute surprise, he pulled the white-gold and lapis-lazuli piece from the pocket of his jeans.

"You had it on you...?" She couldn't believe it.

"I always have it on me." He answered honestly. "Always ready, in case you ever decided to accept it. I wanted to be ready."

"Oh Stefan..." Elena had no words to express all the love she was feeling; so instead she simply pulled her beloved to her and kissed him with all she had.

Very slowly Stefan placed the ring on a certain finger on Elena's left hand, kissing each finger afterwards. By that point the sun was past the horizon, and the pair decided to have some breakfast back at the cabin. Inwardly Elena was planning on spending the morning sunbathing and perhaps have a swim later on.

They were almost at the cabin's door when both of them heard the loud crash of something breaking inside.

"Did someone else come?" Elena inquired, confused. "I thought you said we had the place to ourselves for the weekend..."

"That was the plan." Stefan nodded. "And really, aside from the family, no one knows we're even here right now..."

"You think something happened?" Elena was really getting worried.

They heard a muffled cursed, from a voice neither of them recognized. It was then that Stefan focused hard on his hearing, wanting to know what was going on... he didn't like the answer:

"Merda (Shit)!" He cursed in italian.

Elena was so shocked hearing to Stefan curse it took her a second or two to process when he turned towards her.

"Run Elena!" He yelled at her.

"What...?!" She didn't understand.

"I don't know who those guys are but they know what I am and they know that we're here."

"Stefan..." Elena was close to panicking.

"They're after us, Elena." Stefan said pointedly. "You need to go now."

"You need to come with me..." She began, on the verge of tears.

"I can fight them off, give you some time." Stefan stated. "But you need to run, now."

"Stefan..." She was half turned around, but still hadn't moved.

"Run Elena! Run!" He practically screamed.

The cabin's front door was almost smashed open right then. Stefan didn't wait, immediately throwing himself at the men coming out of the cabin.

Elena, hating herself even as she moved, did as told. She ran down the pier once again before eventually diving inside. She hated leaving Stefan behind, knowing the danger he was in, but he'd told her to run, and she had to do that. It wasn't easy. She was forced to kick off her sneakers and slip off her shirt while underwater to allow for easier movement. She was just coming up for air when she heard something that seemed to freeze the blood in her veins: Stefan screaming her name.

It took everything Elena had not to turn back right then and there; even knowing there was nothing she could have done against so many... and she didn't even know if they were human or vampires! But Stefan wanted her to run, he'd placed his hopes in her getting away, and she couldn't disappoint him; however much she might hate to leave him.

She made it to the other side of the lake and, as tired as she was, after swimming at her top speed. She pushed herself to keep going, getting on her feet and running, ignoring the sticks and rocks digging into the bare soles of her feet. And not looking back... she couldn't, because if she did there was no way she would be leaving Stefan!

She'd barely made it to the tree-line when there was a sudden rush of wind and the blue-eyed brunette stopped abruptly when seeing a figure right before her. One that was definitely not human... it really was like looking at herself in a mirror, and at the same time not at all...

"Katherine..."

That was all she managed to say, before darkness took her.

 **.-.**

At the same time that Stefan was in a losing fight against a bunch of humans armed with vervain darts, wooden knives and who-knew-what-else, and Elena was swimming her way across the lake, trying to get away. Bonnie was making her way to the stairs leading to the boarding house's second floor.

She stopped abruptly, a step away from the first step, as her magical senses began screaming at her. She got a perfect image in her mind of what was happening to the others, for just a fraction of a second... but by then it was already too late.

The Little Witch's last thought was that someone had really done their homework, attacking all four of them at the same time, or close enough that she didn't realize what was coming before it happened; and they were lucky enough her power was still down after the ritual, there was nothing she could do to fight back. Darkness was swallowing her whole before she fully registered that she'd just been hit at the back of her head.

Outside, Damon was on his way back after checking the area, he hadn't been able to find anything, not even a rabbit, and for some reason that bothered him. He received the brief but sharp spike of panic as his True Love realized what was going on, but before he could react to it there were several vervain darts in his back.

Thanks to Bonnie's ritual, while the darts hurt, the vervain didn't really do anything to him. However, right as he was turning around to face his attacker someone hit him with what felt like a high-grade taser, at a voltage that would have probably been deadly to humans. He tried to resist; but in the end the electricity running through his body made him lose control of his limbs, he was down before he could do anything about it.

"Why did the vervain not work?" He heard a male voice asked.

"Who knows?" Another replied. "We got him, that's what matters."

"What's the status on the other team?" A female voice, a painfully familiar one, asked.

"Success." One of the male voices answered. "The girl tried to run, but they caught her before she got too far. It's all done boss..."

"Very well, take this two to the van and then go back to the office." The female voice replied. "And remember, this one is completely off the books."

"Of course boss." Several voices replied.

One of his attackers moved him right then, as they tried to take hold of him to move him. Damon didn't understand what was going on. If they were hunters shouldn't they just stake him and be done with it? They'd spoken of others... Bonnie?! Had they attacked his wife?! And what about Stefan and Elena?! Damon wanted to call for them but he couldn't. He couldn't speak, could hardly think... and then his body was moved enough that his eyes fixed on those who had attacked him, particularly on the woman, the one whose voice had been so painfully familiar...

"L-Liz...?!" But weren't they friends?!

Damon wasn't even sure if he'd said the name out-loud or only thought it. His mind was completely focused on the fact that the one leading the group that had just taken him and his wife (no way Bonnie would have left him alone, unless she couldn't help it), and quite possibly his little brother and sister, was none other than Liz Forbes... she was supposed to be his friend! He'd been betrayed... It was the last conscious thought he had.

 **.-.**

After a long talk with Matt and a night spent in his arms Caroline had managed to push past what her mother had done the night before, all the ways the blonde felt she'd been embarrassed before the rest of her generation. So, deciding to give the whole mother-daughter thing a chance, she'd convinced Matt to take her by a diner they both favored before getting home. There she'd bought an order of her favorite waffles with red fruits; an omelet with vegetables and mushrooms for her mom and coffee for both of them (Matt had decided not to stay, so as to give the two women a chance to bond).

"From the sounds of it your mom's on the phone with someone..." Matt whispered to his girlfriend as they entered the house. "I don't know what they're saying exactly, just something about a job earlier today..."

"Lets not make noise then, let her finish the call." Caroline told him. "Meanwhile I can set the table, or at least the breakfast counter."

She was practically tip-toeing past the door to the living-room, where her mom was talking, when something she said caught Caroline's attention:

"The job's done." She was saying. "The Salvatores and their girls are all yours and now..."

The sound of styrofoam containers hitting the floor and coffee spraying all around was what first called Liz's attention to the living-room door; though it was soon followed by a voice.

"What?!" Caroline shrieked at the top of her lungs.

"Caroline?!" Liz cried out in shock. "I didn't hear you come in..."

"What did you do with Bonnie, Elena, Damon and Stefan?!" The blonde girl demanded.

"You know it's rude to be listening in on my calls..." Liz began.

"What the hell did you do with them?!" Caroline yelled, once again, as loud as she could.

"I did what was necessary to keep this town safe." Liz stated, trying to sound pacifying. "You don't know what some people are capable of, what they truly are..."

"Oh, really?" Caroline challenged. "I'm quite sure I know more than you want me to know. Certainly more than you do!"

"Caroline, this isn't the time to be childish." Liz used a chastising tone on her. "Just believe that I made a deal that was necessary for your safety and the safety of everyone in town..."

"With whom?" The girl insisted. "Who did you make a deal with...?" The answer came to Caro as if by magic, before her mom could say a word or try to lie about it. "Katherine?!" She cried out in a mix of dismay and fury. "You made a deal with Katherine Pierce? A deal that somehow included handing my friends over to her?!"

"How do you know Katherine Pierce?" Liz couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"She's an insane bitch!" Caroline practically wailed. "Worse! She's an insane vampire bitch! She tried to kill Bonnie years ago, and will no doubt try again now... she's been ruining Elena's reputation for weeks... she did everything to ruin the boys' lives a century and a half ago..."

"Caro..." Matt called quietly, a hand on his girlfriend's shoulder to try and help her calm.

"So you do know..." Liz murmured in shock. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"When was I supposed to tell you?" Caroline asked in return. "When you were busy working extra-hours as sheriff? Or when you were leading one of the meetings of the Secret Council?" She made a pause, ignoring the way her mother blanched at the extent of Caro's knowledge. "When you were making a deal with an insane vampire bitch to hand over four of my dearest friends?! Elena and Bonnie are like my sisters! You handed them over like animals to the slaughter-house and you don't care!"

"I did it to protect this town!" Liz insisted.

"Katherine Pierce is a conniving, lying, psychotic bitch with no honor whatsoever." Caroline announced in her most sober tone. "Whatever deal you think you've made with her is absolutely pointless, because once she's done with Bonnie, Damon, Stefan and Elena, she'll destroy the rest of Mystic Falls. Starting by the Founding Families! Also, guess who are the only ones who stand a chance at stopping her? Or at least they would have if you hadn't betrayed them so callously..."

"They are vampires!" Liz tried to defend herself. "Monsters!"

"Only Damon and Stefan are vampires, and they're no monsters!" Caroline retorted, her voice turning almost deadly quiet as she added. "You're the monster here mother. You betrayed Damon, your friend..."

"Monsters don't have friends..." Liz tried to hold onto her beliefs, but she was having such a hard time with everything Caroline kept saying.

"No, I suppose they don't." She pulled the strap of her bag higher on her shoulder before spinning around on her heel and walking back down the hall.

Matt didn't say a word, he just followed.

"Caroline!" Liz called, shocked. "Where are you going?"

"To find a way to help my family." Caro answered simply as she opened the front-door.

"I'm your family..." Liz began, though she sounded faint.

"Are you?!" The girl challenged, turning to face her. "Will you be family to a monster?"

Before Liz had the chance to ask her what she could possibly mean, the woman suddenly felt bombarded by so many emotions in quick succession that she felt like she was about to go insane or something.

"Caroline..." She gasped.

"Yes, that's all me." Caroline answered the unasked question. "So I suppose I'm a monster too. Now, my true family needs me."

She didn't give Liz the chance to say anything else, soon the two teenagers were out and the door was closing with a bang.

Caroline managed to last until both she and Matt were on his car and he had driven a couple of blocks before she broke down into tears.

Matt stayed silent for almost five minutes as he kept driving in circles, not sure where exactly he was supposed to go, what he was supposed to do. How could he even hope to help the very people they were always depending on? He was but human, and still so new at the whole 'supernatural thing'... But Caroline had said that she would be helping her family, and Matt had already made up his mind that he loved Caro and wasn't leaving her. Which meant that he would have to find a way to survive in a world where magic and vampires existed, where his girlfriend could sense other people's emotions... and apparently manipulate them too!

"I'd never do that to you..." Caroline said suddenly, with a slight sob at the end.

Matt didn't fake ignorance, he didn't see the point.

"I know you won't." He assured her. "I trust you Caro."

He probably would never know just how much those words meant to her...

"So, what do we do now?" The blonde boy inquired.

"I need to call everyone." Caroline decided after a few seconds thinking it over. "They need to know what's going on."

With that in mind she pulled out her phone, soon she was connected with everyone in the family; she put the phone in speaker.

"Guys, it's an emergency!" She called. "I need you to leave whatever it is you're doing, put your phones on speaker and make sure we're all in."

It took a few seconds, but soon they were all listening in.

"What's wrong Caroline?" Tyler asked, worried.

"Katherine has made her move." The blonde decided to get to the point. "She has Elena, Stefan, Bonnie and Damon... I don't know where, but she has them!"

Several curses were heard, until someone called to order.

"How did this happen?" Alaric wanted to know.

"My mother betrayed them." Caro admitted quietly. "She kept saying that it was for the good of Mystic Falls, and I don't know what other bullshit. But the bottom line is, it's her fault."

"How did she even know where they were?" John demanded. "Elena's and Stefan's visit to the cabin was a surprise, only Jenna, Stefan and I knew about it!"

"Damon knew too." Caroline reminded him. "Last night, when the prom was ending, my mother was in the parking lot, giving some speech about safety and propriety and who knows what else. We think it was intended to keep the others from hotels and other places that aren't as safe from vampires as normal houses are... Damon might have told her of Stefan's plans to put her at ease, so she wouldn't worry about them." Her voice went very quiet as she added. "He thought they were friends..."

Strangled laughter escaped John. Several people could imagine what he was thinking... it could have been him, quite easily, if he hadn't chosen to take his daughter's side, regardless of what he'd been taught, what he'd believed his whole life...

"We need to go after them!" Jeremy exclaimed.

They could all hear the smack, followed by an exclamation of pain; someone (most likely Itziar), had just smacked Jeremy in the back of the head.

"And how do you suppose we'll do that genius?" The huntress asked her boyfriend. "We have no idea where they've been taken!"

"Do they even need help?" Tyler asked. "I mean, don't take this the wrong way, but aren't they supposed to be all-so-powerful? They might not even need our help..."

"Tyler might be right..." Alaric began.

"We're not leaving them alone in the hands of that bitch/psycho!" Was the general cry from at least half of those in conference.

"Maybe you could give them some time." Matt offered, even as he kept driving. "I mean, I know I'm the new guy in all this but... Bonnie is a very powerful witch, right? The Salvatores are old and quite powerful vampires, and even Elena has some training and experience dealing with the supernatural... so it's not like they're really defenseless. Maybe y... we should give them a chance to deal with things themselves. And if that doesn't work, then we interfere..."

"And how will we know if they can or can't handle it?" Mia inquired.

"We set a time..." Alaric began.

"Twenty-four hours." John declared. "You know at what time they were taken Caroline?"

"No..." Caroline began.

"The Sheriff was speaking over the phone about the job that had been finished, at dawn or sometime around then." Matt offered.

"Very well, then we'll give them until dawn tomorrow." John announced. "If we've heard nothing from them by then, we'll go ourselves."

"Nice plan, but where exactly are we supposed to go?" Tyler pointed out the fault in their burgeoning plan.

"I can try and find out where they've been taken." Caroline offered. "Though if the job was off-the-books, so to speak, that might make it harder."

"You should still try, if you're willing." Mia stated. "If that fails... we should meet at the boarding house, there Tyler and I can try to find a trail that may get us to them..."

There were noises of agreement from almost everyone in the group. Some still had trouble believing they were really going to leave their friends/family on their own for a whole day... but Tyler, Alaric and Matt had been right, they were strong, they just might be able to deal with things themselves... and it wasn't like any of them knew where to go just yet. They had a whole day to find out... just in case.

"Until then, we really need to lay low." Alaric added at the end. "All of us. It would seem like Katherine only wanted them right now... but there's no way we can be sure that any of us aren't next. It's best if we stay on alert until this mess is behind us."

Again, everyone agreed. Not everyone liked the implications of 'laying low', but they understood why it was necessary. They would be meeting at dawn.

"Where to then?" Matt asked his girlfriend as the call cut off.

"To the station." Caroline indicated. "I know a few of the deputies that work with my m... the sheriff for these cases. If I ask the right questions... and maybe use my powers just a bit, I might be able to find out where they took them."

Nevermind that never before that day had she tried to purposefully affect the emotions of others. She'd considered that she might be able to do it, Grams had even suggested it at some point, but Caroline had no training whatsoever... and no time to get it. Her friends... her family needed her, and she wasn't failing them.

With a plan made, they were soon on their way. It was going to be a long day...

 **.-.**

Elena was the last to wake up, with a pained groan, her whole body hurt more than it had in her whole life. It took a while for her mind to finish waking up and then it all came to her in flashes: the lake-cabin, watching the dawn with Stefan, someone after them, Stefan fighting to hold them back, his screams, her swimming like crazy to try and get away from them, running, stones and sticks cutting the soles of her feet and then...

The brunette, blue-eyed sat up abruptly with a gasp as she remembered the last thing she'd seen before losing consciousness. She looked around, unable to see anything at all and was about to scream when a voice interrupted her:

"Elena...?" It was her beloved.

"Stefan?!" She called, a bit louder than intended.

"Yes, lovely love, it's me." Stefan replied. "Are you alright?"

"I... I think so." She murmured, more quietly.

She'd just become aware of the fact that she was tied up, and she had a blindfold across her eyes, which explained why she couldn't see a thing... and how come she hadn't noticed any of it the moment she woke up?!

"What do you remember?" Stefan asked her.

"Ah..." She forced her thoughts into order, even as she began wiggling, searching for a way to get free. "We were at the lake-cabin, a surprise you set up for me with Aunt Jenna and Uncle John... we were watching the dawn ... there was someone in the cabin... you told me to run and..." She winced, remembering his screams. "I remember... are you alright Stefan?"

"I'm fine, lovely little love..." Her beloved told her evenly.

There was a quiet snort, but Elena didn't pay attention to that just yet.

"You cannot lie to me, my love." She told him, finally forcing herself into a sitting position, then realized something. "Who else is there?"

"We're here Elena." It was Bonnie's voice.

"Bonnie? And Damon?" Elena guessed, shocked. How had anyone managed to get all of them? Especially at the same time.

"The attack was very well coordinated." Bonnie stated, either hearing Elena's thoughts, or at least guessing them.

"Liz betrayed us." Damon muttered, voice full of anger, and somehow also pain.

Elena knew that Damon had seen the sheriff as a friend; and considering how closely he guarded himself... she couldn't imagine what he was feeling in that moment.

"It was Katherine." Elena announced, the memory sharp inside her mind.

"What?!" Apparently the others weren't expecting that.

"I saw her, right before being knocked out." The blue-eyed, brunette elaborated. "She's the one behind all this."

Still, there was no time to ponder on that, Elena focused hard on twisting her limbs, trying to slacken her bonds. She could feel the damp ropes, most probably drenched in vervain. It'd keep vampires from freeing her... though at the same time, she knew that couldn't be the true reason why the others weren't helping her, something else was going on.

With some effort Elena managed to slip her tied hands underneath her, until they were before her; it allowed for more range of movement; and she even managed to get off the blindfold.

It was awful, like a scene from a horror movie. Elena had to blink a few times to be sure she was thing what she thought she was.

"Oh Lord..." She gasped, tears falling from her eyes.

"Elena!" Bonnie called, tone sharp. "Elena focus! This is not the time to fall into pieces."

Considering the situation her best-friend, her sister in all but blood was in... if anyone had a right to fall into pieces was her. And yet she wasn't, Bonnie was focused, probably already trying to think of a way to escape, to get them all out of there. Elena promised herself she wouldn't be a burden, she'd do her part.

"Oh..." A keen, almost sickeningly sweet voice sounded right then. "Little-me is awake! Perfect! That means we can begin having fun now!"

"Let Elena and Bonnie go." Stefan's voice was quiet but compelling. "Your problem is with us Katherine. The girls have nothing to do with it."

"Oh but they have everything to do!" Katherine called childishly. "They dared try and take what's mine! I don't like others taking my toys!"

It was sickening, really. It went against all of their instincts, especially Damon's, to have someone calling him a toy; but he would rather take that than watch his beloved be hurt.

"Now, I got this little toy from one of the humans I sent to get you." Katherine stated, pulling out a revolver. "It's filled with wooden bullets, soaked in vervain. I bet we'll have a lot of fun with these! Now, who will go first?" She seemed to think it over, before unexpectedly pulling out a second revolver. "Though, I suppose, you can both go together!"

Elena knew she didn't have much time. Katherine was already moving, and there was no way a mere human like her alone would be able to stop her. So instead of running towards her, when Elena finally made her move, she did so in her beloved's direction, standing straight before him, and taking the bullet meant for him.

*I love you...* Stefan could have sworn he heard his beloved's voice straight in his mind.

However, he couldn't focus on that, all he could think about was the light slowly going out of those beautiful, deep blue eyes right as her body collapsed before his immobile form; her skin and the dirt-ground beneath her staining with her spilled blood. Stefan lost control and screamed with all the pain in his heart and soul:

"ELENA!"

 _And I still believe in the good_

 _And I still believe in the light_

 _And I wanna feel the sun_

 _I wanna free you tonight_

* * *

There are no End Notes because the author is currently hiding in an undisclosed location... she'd also like to remind all her lovely readers that you cannot get the next chapter if you kill her...

See ya!


	22. Living Nightmare

So, no reviews last week (ouch!). Still, I hope at least a few of you are still around and might like to see how this ends. This is the last chapter! Though there's an epilogue coming still, just so you know. So I have an offer for you? Give me a few reviews, tell me what you liked and what you didn't, and what you might like to see in the third and final part of this "Promises of Eternity" series (whenever I finally get around writing it) in the next three days, and I promise to post the epilogue on the fourth.

Also, I'm not sure right now if I've mentioned this before: I know Nina Dobrev's eyes are brown, not blue. But that's something else I took from the books, I loved the way Elena's eyes were compared to lapis-lázuli, so I decided to keep them for this fic. Katherine's eyes are brown, though, as has been pointed out before, and more about that will be said in the epilogue.

So, I really hope you enjoy this chapter. It's all come down to this!

* * *

 **Chapter 21. Living Nightmare**

When Bonnie first opened her eyes she thought she was in a dream... or more like a nightmare. The very same she'd been having since that night in Florence; the same that she'd been having sporadically over the last few months, and more often since recovering the memories of what she and Damon had gone through when they were Katherine's captives, days before Bonnie's fifteenth birthday. The Little Witch had always known the dream wasn't a repressed memory of the past, that it was a vision of the future; and yet, a part of her had never stopped hoping that they might be able to stop it... that was no longer possible, for it was happening already. She wasn't trapped in a nightmare, but in reality...

The dark-haired, hazel-eyed young woman was standing, unable to move, as her hands were bound tightly behind her back; the rest of her body equally restrained, against a tall wooden post, a look in the direction of her feet, soon made her notice the piles of wood stacked around the post.

'No…' She allowed the realization to come upon her, like it always had in her dream. 'Not a post, a stake, oh spirits…'

Her situation would have always been enough to make her nervous and at least a little afraid; though she knew already that was just the start; so she forced herself to look up, to meet the sight she'd already known she'd find:

Her spouse, her Dark Angel, standing right in front of her, looking worse than she'd ever seen him while awake (even the last time Katherine had taken them). His arms were extended to the sides, and what almost made her scream was the fact that they were nailed to wooden posts behind him, or no, not nailed, staked. Such a scene had been bad enough in her nightmares; but in that moment, in reality, it was almost enough to drive her insane.

Blood, both fresh and dry could be seen on his hands, as well as his face, which was half black and blue; it was a frightening sight, not only for the fact that he'd been injured so badly, but also that he wasn't healing like he should. Whatever had happened to him, to them, whatever it was that had gotten them in that position ought to have been really, really bad. And it wasn't even just the injuries, or the lack of healing, but the fact that her magic wasn't protecting him like it should. She'd made the ritual for a reason! And it wan't working! Because her magic wasn't working... something was blocking her...

"Dark Angel!" She began calling to him, over and over again. *Damon!*

She kept calling to him without stopping, and when her voice failed her, she kept the mental calls going on; which wasn't easy at all, seeing how almost every drop of her magic seemed to be blocked... or no, not blocked, someone or something was siphoning it. She had too much power for whoever it was to take it all, but still, it was bad.

As if that didn't make things bad enough, suddenly something in one side of the room called her attention. She couldn't actually make out much, the room was pitch black, it was a miracle in and of itself that she was even able to see her spouse; it would take a while for her eyes to adjust enough to the darkness and allow her to see the rest of the room. There was no doubt it'd been planned that way.

*Lit-tle W…Witch…*

It took her a few moments, but finally she was able to make out her beloved's voice; she'd never heard him so weak, so…lost.

She tried speaking, but already her throat was too sore, her Power suddenly too far to be reached; she could just watch him and try to convey through her eyes how much she loved him, how afraid she was, not for herself but for him.

She'd always been that way, worrying more about others than herself, it just couldn't be helped. In this case it was even more so, this was her spouse, her One True Love, the one person she couldn't live without, and even if she could she wouldn't want to.

"T…ti amo…" She heard him speak in a very hoarse voice.

She wanted to answer in the same way, scream how much she loved him, always had and always would; it hurt her deeply that she just couldn't.

*Never… forget that.*

He'd to finish the thought in their minds, for he was too hurt and drained to keep speaking out loud; and even just saying three words in her mind seemed to take most of the energy that had been left in him.

She wanted to scream right then. She wasn't actually sure what hurt her more, her own wounds or his; she was sure though that she feared more for him than for herself.

And then she could sense it, someone else was in the room, a presence so dark every cell in her body recoiled from its proximity.

She began turning, her eyes narrowed, trying to force them to make out something, anything that may give her more information on where they were, why were they there, and who exactly was responsible for what was happening.

It was useless, she could see nothing, could hear nothing more except for a very low, very dark, chuckle, it seemed to make her blood run cold. Then, as the pulling on her power grew sharper, the Little Witch lost consciousness again.

 **.-.**

Bonnie had no idea how much time passed before she came back to herself. There were images in the back of her mind: a small, quaint place she didn't know but an instinct told her was the Gilbert lake-cabin, two of her dearest friends sharing a moment on a small pier; then, as they were going back, they heard noises coming from the inside. It all happened very fast, Stefan telling Elena to run, throwing himself against the unknown humans (who turned out to be the sheriff's deputies), Elena throwing herself into the lake and swimming as fast as she could, Stefan screaming...

The vision (which the Little Witch didn't realize had been exactly that until it was over) broke all around her and Bonnie suddenly heard Elena... she was there too!

"I remember... are you alright Stefan?" Her best-friend/sister was asking.

"I'm fine, lovely little love..." Stefan answered evenly.

Bonnie didn't need her magic to know he was lying, and her love's snort confirmed it.

Right, they were all there... the humans had gone after all four of them at the same time. Bonnie might never stop cursing herself for not realizing there was danger coming their way, in time to do something about it.

She didn't quite hear Elena's reply to Stefan's lie, or anything else, until she realized her best-friend was asking who was there.

"We're here Elena." Bonnie managed to find her voice in time to answer.

"Bonnie? And Damon?" The blue-eyed obviously realized that there was no way she'd be there without Damon.

Of course, her Dark Angel would have done anything to save her... only he never got the chance...

"The attack was very well coordinated." Bonnie stated, without a hint of emotion.

It was shocking, really. Whoever had been behind it all had coordinated a double hit, with enough people to take down two vampires, a witch and a human... and then there was the fact that Elena had been running (or swimming) away before somehow being caught. And it didn't stop there. They'd been kept unconscious until waking up in their current positions: Bonnie tied to the stake, Damon basically crucified across from her, Stefan hanging from some beam or something, and Elena on the ground, hands and feet tied and a blindfold over her eyes. The two Salvatores could see in the dark easily, and it seemed they'd been down there long enough that she was beginning to be able to see in the darkness (she was quite sure the vampires were having no trouble with that part, at least).

"Liz betrayed us." Damon muttered, voice full of anger, and somehow also pain.

That truly shocked Bonnie. In the past the young Bennett witch hadn't thought much about Elizabeth Forbes, the woman might be Caroline's mom, but she was hardly ever there. There was a reason why Caroline had become so close to Elena's parents, and to Grams (there was a reason all three girls had come to see each other as sisters). She was a good sheriff, no doubt about that, but that was it. And then Damon had come (back) into her life. He saw Liz Forbes as a friend; even with all the lies he was forced to tell her, being a vampire and all that. Bonnie knew her beloved had hoped to one day be honest with her. The one friend he had, who was not supernatural in any way... and to be betrayed by her.

"It was Katherine." Elena's announcement brought them all sharply to the present.

"What?!" None of them had been expecting that, though in hindsight they should have.

"I saw her, right before being knocked out." The blue-eyed, brunette elaborated. "She's the one behind all this."

It seemed that was all Elena had to say on the matter at least for the time being.

The others eventually noticed how Elena kept twisting this way and that, trying with all her strength to free herself; until she eventually managed to get her hands to the front of her body and us them to free herself of the blindfold. Her reaction was immediate.

"Oh Lord..." Elena gasped, tears falling from her eyes.

It sounded like she might hyperventilate, or worse.

"Elena!" Bonnie called, tone sharp. It might be cruel, but they simply had no time for breakdowns. "Elena focus! This is not the time to fall into pieces."

Truth be told, Bonnie needed to remind herself of exactly that. She'd need to focus if she was to find a way to save herself, and her loved ones. She kept reaching for her magic but it wasn't working, and without it she didn't know what to do; the young Bennett heiress simply didn't know how to be a human girl anymore...

Her thoughts broke off as they all became aware of someone else joining them; someone who, partly thanks to Elena's information, none of them had trouble recognizing instantly: Katherine had arrived.

"Oh..." A keen, almost sickeningly sweet voice sounded right then. "Little-me is awake! Perfect! That means we can begin having fun now!"

"Let Elena and Bonnie go." Stefan's voice was quiet but compelling. "Your problem is with us Katherine. The girls have nothing to do with it."

"Oh but they have everything to do!" Katherine called childishly. "They dared try and take what's mine! I don't like others taking my toys!"

It was sickening, really. Bonnie knew it went against her Dark Angel's instincts, against all of them, really, to have someone like Katherine Pierce referring to them as toys; but he held back his response, probably hoping to delay Katherine's fury from turning upon them.

"Now, I got this little toy from one of the humans I sent to get you." Katherine stated, pulling out a revolver. "It's filled with wooden bullets, soaked in vervain. I bet we'll have a lot of fun with these! Now, who will go first?" She seemed to think it over, before unexpectedly pulling out a second revolver. "Though, I suppose, you can both go together!"

For all of one second, Bonnie froze, she actually froze. Then her mind began screaming her beloved's name at the same time she focused all her will on pulling at her magic. She believed, deep down, that her Dark Angel would be alright, not only because she doubted that Katherine would kill him, kill them, that easily (she obviously wanted to torture them); but also because she honestly believed that her magic couldn't allow that. She might not have enough to make Damon invulnerable, as she'd originally hoped, but some magic was getting through (it had to, otherwise she'd be dead already; true witches couldn't survive without at least some magic in their systems). That did not solve the matter of Stefan, though...

The young Bennett witch didn't realize what Elena was planning (that she was even planning anything at all), until she saw her friend jump to her feet and rush; not towards Katherine, as most would have expected, but towards Stefan instead. She'd just made it to him when the loud echo of two guns being shot echoed across the room.

Damon swallowed a groan of pain as the bullet went through his chest, just high enough so as not to pierce his heart; it'd probably gone through one of his lungs, luckily he didn't actually need to breathe.

It would be impossible to know if Katherine had planned the shot that way, or if Elena's actions had distracted her in the last second. Just like they'd distracted Bonnie who, even realizing her beloved was hurt, her eyes seemed to be anchored on her best friend, her sister... who'd just crumbled, like a puppet with its strings cut off. Blood was already pooling beneath her, making it obvious the bullet had hit something important. And Bonnie didn't know what to do, there was nothing she could do...

"ELENA!" It was Stefan screaming.

Bonnie wanted to scream too, but she just couldn't, her scream seemed to be logged inside her throat, and there was nothing she could do. Damon just turned away, away from the brown-haired, blue-eyed young woman who'd done nothing except love his little brother, and had paid for it, away from the little brother who seemed like he was dying himself...

And then another cry was heard.

"NO!"

In the blink of an eye there was suddenly someone else in the room (a basement, as several of them had managed to deduce by that point): it was Isobel.

"Why did you do that?!" She screeched. "This wasn't the plan! I brought you here to help me. I would take my daughter and you could have the rest! That was the plan Katherine..."

"Oh no..." Katherine spoke to her like a mother would a petulant child. "That was your plan my dear... this was my plan all along." She giggled like crazy. "Though I wasn't planning on killing her this quickly..."

Isobel, who was leaning over Elena and had actually placed her own coat over her daughter's body, in a move that seemed oddly touching for someone who was incapable of emotions... then, unexpectedly, she turned around, snarled and threw herself at Katherine.

The fight didn't last long, Isobel was a young vampire and in no way prepared to fight one as old and with the training Katherine obviously had. In a matter of seconds another shot rang through the basement and Isobel landed on the floor, her skin rapidly dessecating. The wooden bullet had gone through her heart, she was dead.

Bonnie and Damon just turned to look at each other. Neither of them had any words. So much had happened already, and they knew it was just the start. They would need some kind of miracle if they were to live through what was happening... With that in mind Bonnie focused all her will on getting her magic back, it was probably their only hope.

 **.-.**

It would be impossible to tell how much time passed. Katherine had tried her hand at torturing each of them. Letting them rest for a while, before going back; she would also leave for what might have been minutes or hours at a time, there was no way to know for sure. She'd actually started with Stefan, but he was so unresponsive, seemingly numb after the loss of Elena, and Katherine soon grew bored of him. Turning her attention to Damon and Bonnie.

Bonnie tried so hard to free herself, to get her magic back, or to at least stop the siphoning... but nothing seemed to work and with every new burst of pain in her body, ever scream from her beloved, every call of name, it became harder and harder to believe, to have faith... she was holding onto hope by a thread when suddenly everything changed.

It began small. Like the flickering flame on a candle that somehow managed to stay alight in the middle of a hurricane; though it soon grew, into something big and strong, like a willow bending in the storm, yet refusing to break.

The Little Witch was just beginning to feel like she might recognize the core of that essence when... it was as if some kind of cord had snapped, and then a great amount of energy was released abruptly. Bonnie thought she could hear words in the wind, but all she could perceive was light... the white, purest, brightest light... and were those wings?!

She didn't get the chance to ponder on it, for suddenly another notion entered her mind: one that, in that moment, seemed much more important: she had her magic back.

Bonnie breathed in sharply as the realization came through her, at the same time she felt power rushing through her veins again. And she wasn't the only one, as her Dark Angel's eyes met hers, the Little Witch knew he was feeling it too. The full-force of the ritual reasserting itself the moment Bonnie's magic returned.

"Oh... what have we here?" Katherine almost cooed at Bonnie. "Was the Little Witch falling asleep on us?"

Bonnie almost gasped as the obvious conclusion occurred to her: whatever Katherine had done to take her magic away, she wasn't the one controlling it, and she hadn't yet realized that it had stopped working. The young witch knew she didn't have long. Soon Katherine would notice that Damon was healing... and it wouldn't take that big a leap for her to guess the reason. Which meant that Bonnie had maybe seconds to act:

*My Dark Angel...* She whispered, not quite sure what she should do.

*I trust you my Little Witch...* He told her softly.

She could feel that trust, from him towards her; Damon honestly believed she could do it, that she could save them all.

Bonnie was still considering, trying to decide what she should do, when a loud gasp pulled everyone's attention in the most unexpected direction... right in time to watch a pair of lapis-lazuli blue eyes opening...

"Elena!" Stefan cried out in shocked wonder.

The moment Katherine began turning in her dear friend's direction (her dear friend who was, somehow, miraculously, alive; after receiving a wooden bullet to the chest...), Bonnie knew she was out of time, she had to act.

"Phasmatos Incendia!" The Bennett heiress screamed at the top of her lungs.

What followed wasn't the usual little fire Bonnie could summon with just a thought (what with fire being one of her primary elements, and all that); or the kind of fire Emily had been known to call on, for some of her more powerful spells; not even the kind of thing Bonnie herself had done at fourteen-almost-fifteen, when Katherine had come so close to killing her and Damon both. No, it went beyond all that, it extended from her, as if she were the epicenter of an explosion. From one second to the next everything was on fire.

In the last moment, before the fire finished expanding, there was a flash of color, an odd mix of pale-green and dawn-pink that originated from a point that was not Bonnie... though no one paid much attention to it; completely focused on the fire consuming the basement at great speeds. The very same fire that had consumed Katherine before she even had the chance to utter a single word... much less scream.

The fire was gone almost as fast as it had appeared, and the two couples were left to pick themselves up from piles of dirt and ash. Everything around them and the building above them had been consumed in the fire Bonnie had summoned; all but the four of them and their own clothes. Elena had even somehow managed to keep the blazer Isobel had placed upon her body before choosing futilely to attack Katherine, and Stefan had helped her put it on, since she was wearing nothing more than her swimsuit, and short-shorts (not that Bonnie herself was much better). She was also barefoot... but there was nothing any of them could do about that.

With some help from Bonnie, whose magic had returned so fast she felt like she was almost overflowing, the four practically floated out of the hole that had once been a basement.

Once outside Bonnie wordlessly went to stand before her husband, tilting her head sideways, the invitation quite obvious. Damon didn't doubt, he bit her neck. Still, he didn't drink for long, not wanting to risk weakening her, just enough to make sure he would be strong enough, if they needed to fight; in the end it helped Bonnie too, as she had so much power it could have become dangerous for them all.

Following their example, Elena went to stand before Stefan.

"Are you sure, lovely love?" Stefan asked, and there was such feeling behind every word.

He'd never take her for granted, never forget how special she was, and how fortunate he was to be able to call her his... for a few hours he'd known the deep soul-searing pain of not having her anymore... he never wanted to feel that again.

"I'm sure love, drink." Elena whispered, pressing her body against his.

Stefan didn't insist, he just lowered his face to her neck. He took a moment to take in her scent, beneath the sooth, and the dirt and fire, there was a mix of roses, honeysuckle and rainwater that was all Elena... He placed a soft, tender kiss right above her vein before very slowly allowing his fangs to drop and piercing straight on her main vein. Through it all Stefan kept all his senses on Elena, ready to stop if at any moment he sensed fear, doubt or anything else like that coming from her... he never did. In fact, soon after he began drinking, once the initial prick of pain had passed and she grew used to the sensation, Stefan could actually feel joy coming from her. He could also feel power, though he was quite sure that must be related to Bonnie and all the excess of magic she'd released.

Elena couldn't believe what she was feeling. She'd only given blood to Stefan once before; and back then there had been so much pain and grief and fear after the condition in which they'd found her beloved... it'd felt nothing like right then. Despite everything that had happened, everything they'd gone through: all the pain, the desperation, the horror... in that moment all Elena felt was joy, that and a deep pleasure, at being able to share something so essential, a part of herself, with the love of her existence.

The two couples took a few minutes to gather their wits and decide what they were going to do. Elena was almost falling asleep, between the haze of the blood-giving and everything else she'd been through, when she noticed something: the sun beginning to rise on the horizon...

"Bonnie!" She cried out abruptly.

Her voice made Bonnie and Damon separate instantly, the two of them ready to fight at a moment's notice. Until they noticed there was no apparent danger.

"Elena!" Bonnie called chastising at his friend.

"Sorry." Elena murmured sheepishly, then shook her head, reminding herself to focus. "The sun is rising."

The sun was rising... that wouldn't be of particular importance (aside from letting them know that they'd been Katherine's captives for at least a full day and night), except for the fact that neither Salvatore had their daylight ring in that moment. Katherine had taken them at some point. Which meant the danger wasn't past quite yet...

"Damon should be quite safe," Bonnie pointed out. "But..."

But Stefan wasn't. Elena was about to go into a panic, when the involuntary motion of her hands reminded her of a certain something she had... something Katherine had either missed or didn't believe important enough to take.

"This!" She cried out, slipping the blue-rose ring off her finger. "Can you spell this to be like their rings? At least temporarily?"

"This is perfect." Bonnie agreed, taking the offered ring.

She didn't comment on it, or the fact that Elena had been wearing it (finally). Instead she took the offered ring and walked a few steps away, to where the sun was already shining, focusing on her magic as she began chanting:

"Matere et solaris tua virtus." She chanted, sending just enough magic into the lapis-lazuli stone, allowing it to reflect the light of the sun at the same time.

In seconds it was done. Bonnie went back to the other three, where Damon was carefully testing his own protection, slowly extending his hand into the sun. Elena took the offered band before slipping it onto Stefan's little finger (the only where it fit). It wasn't ideal, but would do for the time being.

"Now what?" Elena inquired once she was sure the ring was working as it ought to.

"Now we get home, eat, get some sleep... and then decide what exactly we're going to do about all the humans who now know who and what we are..." Bonnie muttered, angered at the mere reminder of the betrayal.

Damon winced internally, the image of Liz Forbes standing above him flashing inside his head; it was a memory that would probably pain him for a long time...

"Lets get home." Stefan agreed.

And with that, each vampire scooped their respective soulmate onto their arms, and then they were off, running at top speed in the direction of their home.

 **.-.**

In the Salvatore boarding-house John Gilbert had brought out his whole stock of weapons (which was big enough to be scary) and the group was choice-picking. Tyler had found the beginning of what he believed might be a working trail, which Mia had confirmed through her own power (diminished as it was without access to her cousin's own).

The group had been split in half. Matt, Jenna, Sienna and Samuel, being no fighters, would have to stay behind; Caroline too was staying, since they weren't sure how effective her gift might be against Katherine, and she was actually tired after using it over and over to get the necessary information from the deputies. It hadn't been enough to get a straight-out location, but it'd been a good starting point. There were some doubts on how useful Tyler, Mason and Joyce might be, without the full-moon to make them into wolves; but at least the two adults had training and enough experience to be able to call on some additional strength and speed even while human; Tyler simply refused to let Mia go into something like that alone (and he'd a better chance at picking up the trails, since he knew the four involved better than his uncle and aunt). Finally there were John, Jeremy, Itziar and Alaric, and while the two adults were painfully aware of how young their charges were, the four of them were the only ones actually trained to fight vampires, and they knew there was a chance that Katherine might not be alone (and even if she were, she was no weakling), so they'd all be going, despite some protests from Jenna and a few others.

The sun had just finished rising over the horizon and the group was just about to set out, when Mia gasped, then Caroline, and even Itziar, John and Jeremy seemed to shift just a bit.

"What's going on now?" Matt asked, unsure.

No one answered him, there was no need, for a second later they could all see them, the four figures that had practically materialized in the middle of the driveway.

"Now that's some welcoming party." Bonnie quipped, unable to help herself.

Caroline shrieked in delight.

Soon it was all a mess of sound: shrieking, laughter, questions and so much more it was near impossible to pick a single idea out, and limbs: embraces, kisses, even a few pats on the back.

"I don't know about you guys but I really need a shower, food and sleep... hopefully in that order." Elena murmured suddenly, swaying a bit beside Stefan.

She was truly half-asleep on her feet.

It seemed to be until then that a few of those present, particularly Caroline and Jenna, noticed what she was wearing beneath the ashen (literally) coat. Her favorite swimsuit, covered in so much blood it was sickening and horrifying (like a scene out of a horror movie).

"Elena!" Several voices cried out at the same time.

"Are you alright?" Jenna inquired, very softly.

"Just fine." Her niece nodded. "I know I look awful right now. But I promise you, I'm absolutely fine. No wound on me..."

She didn't mention that she'd drunk Stefan's blood (after giving him her own), not much, but certainly enough to erase any wound she might have had.

"Why don't we let the group clean up, eat and rest?" Grams proposed. "They've certainly earned it. We can all talk once they wake up."

It was agreed.

 **.-.**

The talk ended taking place at some point in the afternoon. Grams, Samuel, Jenna, Alaric and Sienna had busied themselves in the boarding-house's kitchen cooking what for some might seem like a veritable feast. It was hard to say if it was supposed to be a late lunch or an early dinner, but in the end no one seemed to mind much. They all sat at the dining table and enjoyed. (The Salvatores couldn't help but think that it was the first time their huge dinning table was full of people they actually liked...).

But eventually the food was finished, dessert was mostly done with. And it was time to talk. Damon insisted on them moving into the sitting room, as they were all going to need a drink for that talk (or, most likely, more than one). The occasion was extraordinary enough that no one batted an eyelash when he served glasses for all the teenagers present as well.

"What happened, exactly?" John finally decided to be the one to ask the question.

Each of the four who'd been kidnapped took a moment to explain their part. All the while refusing to let go of their match's hands as they recounted the fear, the horror... Elena's tale was particularly harrowing, as she'd been the only one not taken immediately. She'd had a chance to run, to swim across the lake, run into the woods in a desperate attempt to outrun an enemy she didn't even know... only to run smack into the one behind it all: Katherine. It'd been almost as much of a nightmare as Bonnie had when first waking up in that basement and realizing that her reoccurring nightmare had taken shape in reality. It was likely neither girl would ever fully forget such feelings.

"Oh!" Caroline gasped abruptly. "I'm so, so very, very sorry!"

She was the picture of remorse, of deep, soul-tearing regret. She was actually so deeply buried in her own feelings that everyone around was beginning to feel an echo of them. It made them uncomfortable.

"Oh Caro..." Bonnie murmured quietly, opening her arms wide.

The blonde girl didn't need more than that, in an instant she was kneeling, embracing Bonnie tightly, an embrace Elena soon joined, with the Salvatores hovering over them.

"It's okay Caro, it's okay..." Bonnie cooed in an almost maternal tone as she ran a hand soothingly through her friend's hair. "Everything's alright now."

"It's not your fault Caro." Elena assured her. "It wasn't you..."

"But it was my mother!" Caroline practically wailed, tears running down her face. "My own mother betrayed you all and I..."

"And you're not your mother, Caroline." Damon stated, softly but full of purpose. "Liz's... the sheriff's choices are her own, and not your fault in any way."

It took a little while, but eventually Caroline nodded. She wasn't completely over it yet, but at least she believed her friends didn't blame her, and that took a huge weight off her shoulders.

"Everything will be alright Caro." Elena assured her softly. "We'll get past this. We all will." She let out a breath. "I know what you're feeling right now, but I promise you things will be better, you'll see."

"You know..." The blonde began in disbelief. "You cannot know! You cannot understand Elena! I'm sorry, but it's true. Our situations... they're not the same. You might not get along with your birth-mother but she did not betray you and everyone you love..."

She broke off, seeing the deep, heart-wrenching sadness in her (Elena's emotions had always been so strong Caroline simply couldn't ignore her; and they seemed to have gotten somehow sharper, more profound, in some way).

"Oh Caro, but I know..." Elena murmured very quietly. "Our situations are exactly the same... You see, it was Isobel who brought Katherine here." she shook her head silently. "She thought Katherine would take Stefan, Bonnie and Damon and let me go. She thought her actions would protect me. She was a fool."

Caroline had no words for that, not only because she'd honestly misjudged her friend, but because of her words 'she thought her actions would protect me', it reminded Caroline of what her mother had said when trying to justify her own actions.

'Indeed, it would seem both our mothers are fools...' The Sensitive thought to herself.

"Isobel's back in town?" John asked, shocked.

"Not anymore." Damon shook his head seriously. "She's dead."

"When she realized Katherine wouldn't be letting Elena go she tried to attack her. Katherine killed her." Bonnie finished.

No need to mention that they'd all believed Elena to be dead at the time, after the shot she'd taken for Stefan. Their family might deserve to know what happened, essentially, but some details were simply too personal, and too painful, to share.

Barely a mention was made of the torture they'd gone through, particularly Bonnie and Damon (and no one dared ask), and then they got to the part where Elena woke up (they made it seem like she'd passed out, rather than explain what actually happened). Bonnie had no way to explain how she'd suddenly gotten her magic back; the only theory they had was that whoever or whatever had been siphoning her power hadn't been able to handle so much of it (Bonnie was, arguably, the most powerful witch in history, after all). No one could miss how hard it had all been, and how dangerous her decision.

"You've told us about the ritual you did on Damon, to keep him safe in case what happened... well, happened." Jeremy murmured thoughtfully. "Fire obviously wouldn't hurt you. But what about Elena? And Stefan? What kept them from burning like Katherine did?"

"Well, obviously it's her magic, it wouldn't hurt them." Caroline stated coldly.

She tried to sound sure of herself, but she wasn't, not really; none of them were.

"It's odd but... right before the fire expanded, it felt as if something were protecting me... us." Stefan murmured softly.

"As if some kind of shield had been placed on us." Elena agreed completely.

"See, that must have been Bonnie's magic." Caroline stated in satisfaction.

And while it was possible; it wouldn't exactly be the first time her magic acted pretty much on its own, following her instincts; something told Bonnie there was more to that shield than her own power. Only she had no idea what.

"I think that what we should truly focus on right now is that you all made it." Samuel decided. "You all made it out, and the vampire who tried to hurt you is dead."

Samuel Bennett couldn't help the mix of relief and satisfaction in his voice. What he'd just said was true, and in more than one way. It wasn't only what had just happened, but also what had been done to his little girl nearly four years before. The one who'd hurt her so was finally dead and wouldn't be putting his daughter's life at risk again. Granted, that didn't mean that Bonnie, or any of them really, would be completely safe for the rest of their lives... but it was one threat less, and that mattered.

 **.-.**

Eventually the sun set, and yet no one was leaving. It'd seem that after the ordeal no one was too keen on leaving the foursome alone again. Fortunately the place was a boarding-house, they had enough bedrooms for everyone to sleep right there.

The group had split, most to take a shower, or just go off and think about what had happened on their own. Stefan found Elena standing in the middle of what had been their bedroom, shaking just a little. He didn't need to ask what was going on; Tyler and Jeremy had been play-fighting, and had accidentally pushed a vase off a table, smashing it. It wasn't that big a deal, in the grand scheme of things, but it'd brought back memories to Elena and Stefan both; and she in particular was unused to dealing with that kind of trauma. Not the trauma of fighting, she'd fought before; no, it was the trauma of not feeling safe in a place you consider home. The cabin might not have been the house she spent every night in, but it was a place her family went to, it held a special place in heart... and after what had happened, it was likely she'd never be able to sleep there again.

Very slowly, carefully, making sure not to startle her any further, Stefan went to stand behind her, running his arms around her waist, embracing her tightly; pushing her back against his chest, allowing her to lay on him.

"Will I ever stop jumping at every loud noise?" She asked softly, pressing her cheek against his chest, seeking comfort.

"It's not every loud noise." Stefan pointed out calmly. "Even I couldn't help the flashback when that vase broke. They didn't do it on purpose, it was an accident."

"I know, I'm not blaming Jer, or Tyler." She assured him. "I just... how am I supposed to get over this? To move on?"

"Well, first of all, you need to accept that it happened." He told her quietly. "It happened, and it was bad... but you survived. We both survived..." He let out a breath. "You're not the only one dealing with trauma right now Elena. Bonnie and Damon have their own share of it, and me... I spent hours believing you gone. For a short eternity I mourned you, felt my heart breaking and soul tearing apart at the thought that I would never be able to see you, kiss you, hold you in my arms again. I know I'll have a hard time letting you out of my sight any time soon; it's quite possible I'll act possessive and over-protective at times... but I just love you so much. And now I know what it feels like to lose you. I don't want to feel that ever again. I know now I won't survive it..."

"So what then? We hold on tight to each other, and hope this will pass?"

"It will pass. You know why? Because we're stronger than it. We're stronger than the doubt, and the fear... We already did the hard part, we survived Katherine and her evil... now we move on past her memory."

Elena had to admit that when he put it like that it actually sounded easy.

Loosening her muscles one by one, forcing herself to relax, Elena began moving again, she went to the pile of clothes she'd left by the bathroom door earlier. The blue and white swimsuit was completely ruined (which was a shame, it'd been her favorite); she pushed her mind past the thought of her shirt and sneakers, which were probably still in the bottom of the lake (she doubted she'd be getting them back anytime soon); and then her eyes went to the blazer. It was a dark navy-blue, Isobel had been wearing it the first time they'd talked, and again in that basement... and had apparently left her on Elena when believing her dead. The blue-eyed brunette still had no idea what to think about Isobel's actions; had they been done out of love and grief for a daughter she believed loss to death? Or simply because things hadn't gone her way? Elena had no idea, and no one to ask.

She half-absently reached for the piece of clothing, contemplating if she should keep it or just send it to the trash along with the swimsuit and the shorts. Her ears picked up a noise as she moved the jacket. Instinctively slipping her hand into one of the coat's pockets, she pulled out the last thing she could have ever imagined: it was a photograph, an old polaroid, folded in half and a with obvious marks of wear. Like someone had folded and unfolded it over and over again to look at it. The contents? A girl, maybe seventeen years of age, with deep-blue eyes, sitting in the middle-of a bed, holding what looked like a newborn baby. There were words beneath the image, a date: 06-22-93...

Elena gasped out-loud, falling to her knees and almost dropping the picture in her shock.

"Lovely love...?" Stefan was with her in an instant.

"June 22nd, 1993..." Elena whispered half-brokenly. "That's the day I was born..."

Which meant she was the baby in the picture. Someone, probably one of her adoptive parents, had taken that picture of her and Isobel the day Elena was born; and Isobel had carried it with her for eighteen years...

"That's how she did it..." Stefan breathed out.

"What...?" Elena had no idea what he was talking about.

"I'd wondered, since we first met Isobel, how she could be so insistent about you, your safety, when she obviously felt nothing." Stefan explained. "It didn't seem logical. As a vampire with her switch flipped, she shouldn't have cared at all. You might have been her daughter by birth, but she was no longer human..."

"So how could she care about me then...?" Elena finished for him, understanding where he was headed with that line of thought.

"That's how." Stefan pointed at the picture. "She kept that picture with her for eighteen years. Through her college years, meeting and marrying Alaric, growing obsessed with the supernatural, meeting Damon, becoming a vampire, and everything else. She couldn't bring herself to care, not without emotions... but at the same time she made sure she wouldn't forget you, not really."

Elena had no words for that, she wasn't sure there were any words to express what she was feeling in that moment; so instead she just embraced the coat tightly against her chest, never letting go of the picture and all along wondering what it might have been like to embrace her birth-mother... she didn't know, she'd never know, but maybe...

Her line of thought was abruptly interrupted as she felt something pressing into her middle, something inside yet another of the blazer's pockets. Slipping her hand inside it, quietly wondering what she might find next, she pulled out two silver and blue pieces... to be more precise, silver bands with blue stones and an elegant design on top: the Salvatore rings.

A thousand thoughts rang threw Elena's head as she looked at the rings on her hand: Why had Isobel had them? Was Isobel the one who'd taken them? Had she forgotten about them, or left them in that coat on purpose? Could Isobel had known they'd end up back in the brothers' hands? She doubted the answer to that last one was yes, but still, it seemed like such a great coincidence, a miracle; to find the rings back in their hands, and through the intervention of none other that her birth-mother. Who'd given Elena up again and again, who'd put her life in the greatest danger it'd ever been, in a misguided attempt to protect her of something worse; who'd died, probably never knowing that Elena herself would live...

"I think this belongs to you and Damon..." Elena murmured quietly, offering the rings to her beloved, still kneeling beside her.

"I shall give it to him." Stefan agreed.

He placed his own ring on his finger before, very tenderly, returning the rose-ring to Elena's own hand. They both contemplated it for several seconds.

No declarations of love were spoken, there was no need, they already knew...

 **.-.**

Elena wasn't quite sure what she was doing when she left the bedroom after Stefan went to give Damon his ring back. Somehow she ended stepping through the backdoor of the boarding-house and approaching John, who was sitting on the stone fence, having a smoke. As she watched him she couldn't help but remember Isobel, everything about her: from the time Stefan had told her she was adopted, the talks with Jenna, his search, the compelled messenger who killed himself after delivering the message, the moment Elena had come face to face with Isobel in the Gilbert home, the tense conversation... and then there was the last time she'd seen the woman: her dessecated corpse laying on the dirt floor, on the other side of the room from her, after Katherine killed her.

Elena still didn't know why Isobel had done it. She'd had no feelings, no emotions, an old picture wasn't enough of a reason for her to be willing to sacrifice her life... for a daughter who'd never seen her as family. It bothered Elena, she couldn't help but wonder if it had been on her; if she could have done more, tried harder... tried at all.

And then there was John...

"I know you're there." John called calmly as he exhaled a mouth-full of smoke.

Elena didn't say a word, she just walked around the short fence slowly, before eventually going to sit beside him. For almost a full minute neither of them said a word and then...

"I don't know if I can do this." She blurted out.

"This...?" He inquired, confused.

"You and I..." She tried to explain. "Seeing you as my... I cannot even say it, cannot really think it. Grayson Gilbert was my dad, I cannot imagine anyone else taking his place."

"And I do not want to take his place, Elena." John assured her. "Truth be told, even if I'd known from the start that you were my daughter... I don't think it'd have worked out. I'm not made for raising children. I think Isobel... the human Isobel, knew that. That's why she never told me, and yet she left you with Grayson and Miranda... I cannot be sure, but I like to believe that she'd heard enough about them from me to know they'd take good care of you, they'd give you the family you deserved, in a way neither of us could ever have..."

Elena didn't reply to that, she'd no idea what to say. Instead she raised her hand towards John, the one in which she was still holding the polaroid.

"Oh..." The girl could hear actual wonder in his voice.

It was the start of a talk and, hopefully, of a new future... even if Elena could never bring herself to see John as her father, they'd be family, and that was good enough for both.

 **.-.**

Liz Forbes went straight for her daughter's bedroom when she got home that night. She'd spent the whole day trying to think of some way to convince Caroline that she'd done what was right, what was necessary. That they could deal with... whatever it was that had happened to the girl, and move on...

In the end all her plans and half-baked ideas were pointless. As became obvious the moment the sheriff set foot inside the room, Caroline had most definitely been there at some point during the day, she wasn't there any longer. And not only she wasn't there, but she'd taken the majority of her clothes and personal possessions. She'd obviously done it while Liz was at work; purposefully avoiding her mother...

"Did you really expect any different?" A voice asked her suddenly from behind.

Liz froze. For two full seconds she actually considered reaching for the gun strapped to her hip, or maybe the stake she always kept in the back-pocket of her pants; in the end, she did neither. Instead she closed her eyes and let out a breath.

"Are you here to kill me?" She asked, a hint of defeat in her voice.

"Whyever would I do that?" Damon asked as he stepped out of the shadows.

Liz didn't answer, she didn't see the point, they were both perfectly aware of what she'd done.

"I always knew the day would come when you'd find out what I am, what we are." Damon said conversationally. "I even knew it wouldn't be easy for you to deal with it. But a part of me wanted to believe that you would, indeed, deal with it. Accept it. It'd seem I've become soft... as well as foolish." He smirked briefly at the mental smack he got from his wife at that. "Ok, so I'm not foolish. Because there are many others who've been able to accept the truth without going insane or wanting to kill us..."

"What's the point of this conversation Damon?" Liz interrupted. "If you're here to kill me just do it and be done with it."

"But I'm not here to kill you." The elder Salvatore stated. "I might have done it in the past, yes. Without a second thought, and without losing any sleep over it. But I'm not that kind of man anymore..."

"You're not a man..." Liz began, though it almost sounded like she was trying to convince herself, rather than him.

"Aren't I?" Damon scoffed. "I suppose in your eyes I'm a monster. We're all monsters... even little Caroline...?"

Liz simply had no words for that.

"Are you going to compel me then?" Liz was well informed, as she'd proven before. "Make me forget I ever found out about you all?"

"I thought about it." Damon felt no compunction admitting that. "It would have been the perfect strategy. You forget all you learnt from dear-old-Katherine, and we all go on our merry ways... we'd have had to keep you for a few days, until we could flush the vervain out of your system, you know... but we could have made it work." He let out a breath. "In the end we decided it wasn't that good an idea. If you hadn't discovered the truth a couple of days ago you might have done it tomorrow, or next week, or next year... the point is, you were always going to learn the truth. That's not something we can stop. But right now, we now know you know, and we can keep watch, make sure others won't get to know what you now know."

Damon smirked widely at his word-play. Liz didn't say a word.

"You see Liz, I know you think I'm a monster, possibly the worst on the planet..." Damon went on. "But you're wrong. There are much, much worse things than me out there. Beings so old I am but a child to them, little more than a baby. Beings for whom humans are nothing more than toys at best, cattle at worst. Beings who would raze Mystic Falls to the ground if they ever found out that things like your Secret Council exist..."

Liz gasped at the mere thought. She really had no idea. She was living in a world much, much bigger than her, in more ways than one.

"Right now we're trying very hard to make sure such beings will never find out about us, about Mystic Falls." Damon continued. "And you're going to help us do that."

"And how do you suppose I will do that?" Liz eventually found the strength to ask.

"You will keep the meetings of the Secret Council." Damon explained. "Convince everyone that things are perfectly normal."

"And I suppose you'll want them all to stop taking vervain and..."

"You should really stop making assumptions, sheriff." A hint of steel entered Damon's voice as he cut her off. "There's nothing wrong with people drinking vervain. It's not like we want the town to be full of puppets or anything. As long as no one messes with our business, as no one goes around revealing secrets they shouldn't and putting the general secrecy of the existence of the supernatural at risk, nothing needs to change." He took a deep breath. "Like I was saying. The Secret Council will continue, as a facade. If anything comes, we will be the ones to deal with it. As long as you keep your knowledge to yourself we will make sure Mystic Falls stays safe, and everyone wins!"

Damon knew it was unlikely that the sheriff agreed with his idea of 'everyone winning', but she was an intelligent woman; or at least intelligent enough to know when she had lost. She wouldn't fight him on it.

Nor would she be able to, his beloved Little Witch had made sure of that. While Damon was verbally sparring with the sheriff, Bonnie had cast a spell that would make it impossible for the older woman to share the secret with anyone; at the same time it would alert the Bennett heiress if she were to ever try.

The deputies had been compelled, all knowledge of the Salvatore brothers, their girlfriends, and even any suspicion they themselves might have had about anyone else in town fully erased from their heads.

Damon and Bonnie met in the shadows just behind the Forbes house, and from there they began walking together, back home. (Once back they'd learn Elena had found their daylight rings, in Isobel's blazer, which meant one thing less to worry about) They would be safe. They would make sure of it.

 _And I still believe in the good_

 _And I still believe in the light_

 _And I wanna feel the sun_

 _I wanna free you tonight_


	23. Epilogue

So... we've come to the end of this story. Really, I've already said most of what needed to be said, here I just take a moment to reveal the other side, the piece you're missing... what really happened while Elena was dead (because she most definitely was dead).

* * *

 **Epilogue**

 _Can anybody tell me why_

 _We're lying here on the floor_

 _And neither of us can barely breathe at all_

 _The doctors saying hold on tight_

 _As we say our last goodbyes_

 _And this is, a moment that changes our whole lives_

***Dream***

There was pain, and confusion, and fear, and she was drowning in them for all of one second. And then it was all gone, just like that, in the space of one breath. All feelings were gone, she was numb. It wasn't as if they were no longer there, she just couldn't feel them, couldn't feel anything. As if someone had pressed the pause button on her... or maybe it was pressed on the rest of the world.

She looked down at herself, at the blood on her swimsuit and had one second of realization: she was dead. She had just died... died protecting Him, sacrificing her life for her One True Love, her soulmate, her match... she could accept that...

"You're not dead..." A soft voice, with a soft ring like that of bells, said behind her.

Elena Marie Gilbert, the brunette, blue-eyed (like lapis-lázuli, according to her beloved) girl spun around, looking for the origin of the voice. What she found was nothing she could have ever expected. There was a person standing there, a woman, and yet she was nothing like any person or woman she'd ever seen: tall, statuesque, with perfectly unblemished porcelain skin, her hair was like spun gold, or sunlight, and her eyes were blue, a deep, seemingly ever-changing blue, like...

"Like yours." The woman spoke right then, as if she'd been following Elena's mental-diatribe. Could she do that?

"In this plane every thought can be as loud as a spoken word." The woman told her calmly. "Though I suppose it would be wrong to say that my eyes are like yours, truth is... you have my eyes, little light..."

Elena couldn't help the thought that the woman looked so perfectly ageless, even more than any of the vampires she'd ever met. Also, there was something unsettling about seeing her eyes in another face. It was somehow almost worse than when she'd first come face to face with Katherine, the vampire that looked exactly like her... in every way except her eyes. According to Damon, Katherine had once claimed that her eyes had been blue when human, that becoming a vampire had changed them, changed her (just like Isobel); but that was a thought Elena had never lingered on, hadn't seen the point...

"Of course it's important." The woman stated. "I think you knew it deep down, even then. The eyes are the windows of the soul, little light..."

"Why do you keep calling me that?" Elena inquired, confused. "Little light?"

"Because that's exactly what you are." The woman replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world (and maybe, for her, it was).

Elena would have continued on that line of interrogation, but right then something inside her seemed to tighten, as if her heart were constricting, a pain that reminded her how she'd come to be... wherever it was she found herself right then.

"Am I dead then?" She asked outright.

"No, not yet." The woman answered honestly.

"How can I survive?" Elena pressed. "Katherine will not let Stefan close, she will never allow him to turn me and..."

"And you don't know if you want to be turned." The other finished for her.

"I... no..." The admittance was so quiet, Elena could barely hear herself.

It was something she'd never dare say out-loud, hardly ever admitted to herself, how much she did not want to be a vampire. It's not like she hated them, or feared them... she loved Stefan after all! And Damon was a dear friend... and Lexi had been a wonderful friend, no matter how briefly Elena had known her. But there was just some instinct inside her that rejected the thought of ever being a vampire herself.

"It's your soul, little light." The woman told her softly. "Your soul is so pure, it rejects even the thought of being a vampire. Your ancestor... Katerina, she too was like that once. But in the end, fear of death made her go against even her most deeply ingrained instincts. When faced with sickness and death she chose the night, the shadows, over it."

"It wasn't a choice about life and death, not for me at least." Elena said quietly.

"Nor for her. In the end the choice was about following or denying your nature; the light or the dark... Katerina made her choice, and so did you..."

That still didn't change the thoughts she'd had since first gaining consciousness in that place (wherever it might be).

"You're not dead yet." The ageless woman stated. "You may yet live. You have the means to do it already. To survive, to fight... you just need to acknowledge it, little light."

"I don't understand." The brunette admitted quietly.

"Your mother named you very appropriately, little light." The blonde said in an almost beseeching tone. "There's a light inside you, waiting for you to let it shine. You have power Elena, have always had it, you just need to reach for it. That power will save you, and those you care for. You just need to believe, have faith..."

"I don't know how..."

"Reach into yourself. It's always been there, little light..."

Elena honestly had no idea what that was supposed to mean. She tried, she closed her eyes and tried to focus, to find something that might be different; tried checking over every part of her body, and when that failed attempted several meditation exercises. Nothing seemed to work. Then, right when she was about to cry out in frustration she heard the woman whisper those same words again:

Little light... little light...

She knew that her first-name, Elena, meant 'Light', it was probably what the ageless woman meant when she said her mother had named her right. She was a light... the light... and just like that, it came to her. There was nothing inside her, not in her body or her mind, that could be considered a light; she herself was the light. All of her...

"Blessings, my little light..."

Those words were the last she heard, pronounced by that soft, beautiful voice.

An instant later it all hit her at once: pain, confusion, fear, they were all back, and once again Elena felt like she was about to drown in them. But she pushed herself past that, past the shadows attempting to crush her, and then in a whisper she called three words:

"Wings of Purification!"

A white light enveloped her, extending outwards like a pair of wings unfolding from the very center of her; and in that one instant, that beat of her heart, Elena knew nothing would ever be the same again...

***End of Dream***

Elena sat up abruptly in bed, panting, heartbeat hammering inside her chest. Being very careful so as not to wake up Stefan she slipped out of his embrace, off the bed and then walked barefoot into the bathroom; where she went to stand before the mirror. She was wearing a set of pajamas (a requirement from Jenna when she spent the night in the Gilbert home).

As she looked at her reflection Elena forced herself to remember what she'd just seen in her dream. When she'd first woken, after being shot in the chest, Elena hadn't been able to remember anything; it was as if she'd closed her eyes after being hit, and then opened them again but a second later. But, nearly a week later, she was finally remembering. Only, she didn't even know if that was a real memory or just a nightmare caused by the PTSD... And it wasn't like she could ask anyone else, she seriously doubted another had ever gone through what she had.. Then again, that in itself should be a clue: she'd been shot in the heart, with a wooden bullet (granted, since she was human the material the bullets were made of made no difference). But the point was, she'd been shot... and still she lived.

"Lovely love...?" It was Stefan, he'd woken to find her gone.

"I'm in the bathroom Stefan." She whispered softly, knowing he'd hear her.

In a second he was standing at the door, looking at her through the mirror.

"Everything alright?" He asked her quietly.

She'd had nightmares before, a few times in the last week; but he'd always been there to wake her and then sooth her back to sleep.

Elena was still considering what she ought to say when her eyes suddenly went down, to her hand, or more precisely, to the ring on her finger... it was in the middle finger. Not quite an engagement ring, not yet. But it was a promise nonetheless, a promise of a future... who could ever ask for more than that?

"Perfect." She answered, and she was being completely honest. "Everything's perfect, love."

She stepped out of the bathroom then and back into her room. There, on a hook in the back of her closet's door was a white dress. It'd been a gift from her... uncle John. While she'd be wearing the usual gown to the graduation itself, afterwards they had a party plan at the boarding-house, and she'd be wearing the dress to that.

Graduation... she was graduating that day. She was eighteen years old (it'd been her birthday just two days before), a high-school graduate. In the fall she would be starting at Whitmore College (she'd yet to choose her mayor). While her original plan had been to sleep at the school dorms, or maybe rent an apartment with the girls, Damon had insisted on buying a house where they could all live together (when Caroline and Elena had tried to complain about the expense he'd pointed out that real estate was a good investment... that and the Salvatores were rich! He'd rather they spend that money than keep it sitting in the bank with no purpose).

Someday she'd be ready for eternity, but there was time for that. They had a whole future ahead of them. Yes, everything was absolutely perfect.

 _And I still believe in the good_

 _And I still believe in the light_

 _And I wanna feel the sun_

 _I wanna free you tonight_

 _And you showed me all the good_

 _And you lead me through the light_

 _And you gave me the sun_

 _It's time to free you tonight_

* * *

Here the full lyrics of the song that was pretty much a theme for this fic, just in case you're interested.

 **Into the Light**

Can anybody tell me why

We're lying here on the floor

And neither of us can barely breathe at all

The doctors saying hold on tight

As we say our last goodbyes

And this is, a moment that changes our whole lives

And I still believe in the good

And I still believe in the light

And I wanna feel the sun

I wanna free you tonight

And I still believe in the good

And I still believe in the light

And I wanna feel the sun

I wanna free you tonight

I'm staring deep into your eyes

They're telling me the time has come

And I know you're ready to rise and sail home

The room is filling up with light

As we say our last goodnight

I thank you for every second of your life

And I still believe in the good

And I still believe in the light

And I wanna feel the sun

I wanna free you tonight

And I still believe in the good

And I still believe in the light

And I wanna feel the sun

I wanna free you tonight

I'm falling, watching as you're hurting

I'm down here I'm on my knees

How can I survive?

And you turn to me and promise me you're ready

And tell me you'll be waiting on the other side

And I still believe in the good

And I still believe in the light

And I wanna feel the sun

I wanna free you tonight

And you showed me all the good

And you lead me through the light

And you gave me the sun

It's time to free you tonight

* * *

So, that's what. I hope you liked it. (I hope you leave me reviews with your opinions about it... also, it might help push me into writing the sequel... which is coming, I just don't know when, for the most part I'm busy with other fandoms, mainly the MCU and Sherlock - either together or apart-).

Now, on to business. The sequel. I have a tittle, a rogue outline of what it'll be about, have made pretty much final choice in the pairings (there is one that might yet change). So, I cannot make any promises on when I'll get around to writing that, much less when I'll post. I like to believe that this fic ended much better than the previous one, so you won't be as angry with me if it takes me a while, yeah? In any case, here I give you all I have to give at this time (I know the words are from LoTR, with only the last couple of lines changed a bit, just ignore that part, please):

 **Promises of Love (3rd Part of the Promises of Eternity Series):**

 _From_ _the_ _ashes_ _a_ _fire_ _shall_ _be_ _woken_  
 _A_ _light_ _from_ _the_ _shadows_ _shall_ _spring_  
 _Renewed_ _shall_ _be_ _lines_ _that_ _were_ _broken_ _,_  
 _A new_ _dawn_ _the_ _guardians_ _will_ _bring_ _._


End file.
